Green Lantern of the Grand Line
by Sorakage Sama
Summary: In the middle of a prisoner escort, Abin Sur is fatally injured and crash lands on an unnamed planet. Knowing he will die soon, he bequeaths his lantern to the one being fit to bear his ring: future pirate king, Monkey D. Luffy. These are his adventures.
1. Prologue

****Before this Fic starts, like to thank one person in particular: my girlfriend, SwordMasterZ.** **Without her**** inspiration, this concept never would have occurred to me in a million years.** **I couldn't have done this without your creativity, your knowledge, and your suggestions.****Thanks you for the insight that got this piece off the ground.****

Prologue: Romance Dawn! The Journey Begins!

A small spacecraft glided through the blackness, making its way to a destination only known by its pilot who was making his way past designated planet 749285 in the sector 3172...

Behind the green clad man, four figures were bound to the wall with shackles of green light.

"Yer not gonna get away with this, bastard!" the center one spat.

"Whatever. The guardians decreed that you ki users were too powerful by far to be left to your own devices. They were going to take measures before the Manhunters went rogue. I'm actually being merciful, dropping you four on an uninhabited planet. At least this way you have a chance of surviving." Abin Sur replied.

"Measures? You fucking wiped out our entire planet! What about our Families?-! Our friends?-! Do lives mean nothing to you?-!-?" the prisoner to the right snarled, struggling against her bonds.

"Save your strength. Those constructs aren't going to fade anytime soon." The pilot pointed out.

"Says you." The first sneered, flexing his arms.

The second eyed her two comatose companions, willing them to wake up and show that they were alive.

The black haired prisoner slipped his legs up and wound his feet into the chain loops.

"_I gotta do this right, or I'll probably break my legs…"_ he thought.

"Mōko Kaimon Ha!" he bellowed, jerking the limbs apart.

Much to Abn Sur's horror, the chain constructs snapped like twigs.

"Kijin Raishū Dan!"

The green lantern was forced to dive out of the way to avoid being bisected by the vacuum blade that shattered the reinforced transport tube.

"How the hell did you…" the crimson skinned man snarled.

"Those rings run on will right? Well no one's got more than me! **I don't lose too anyone!"** the dark haired human snarled, blurring out of sight.

Abin sensed the presence behind him just as the martial artist's strikes were about to drill into his back, he threw up a quick shield and lashed out with an emerald beam that would have cut his opponent in two, if he had been there.

Suddenly, the prisoner leaped up and ran along the green stream of light, kicking his foe across the jaw.

"Why the hell did you do this? We never did anything to you! The prisoner yelled, locking his opponent's arm into a submission hold.

"I didn't like it either, but my orders are to make sure you Ki users never become a threat!" the lantern barked as an emerald clamp ripped his opponent away and tossed him across the room.

Sur's ring blazed as his opponent scrambled to his he and glowed like a miniature supernova, shooting a white hot projectile.

"Fall!" the lantern roared.

"BURN!" his opponent screamed.

The two attacks collided, pushing against each other. For ten long seconds, the deadlock lasted until something gave way: Abin's willpower.

His beam was cleaved in two as the ki blast nailed him in the chest like a cannon ball, throwing him across the room and through the main console.

The ship lurched wildly as the containment fields flickered and died, dumping the people within to the cold floor.

"Idiot! You wrecked the controls!" Sur bellowed, scrambling to his feet.

"And what the hell does that mean for us? The short haired one snarled.

"At the moment, we're about to crash into that planet. The ship'll break up on reentry, incinerating anyone without a power ring." he replied.

"Looks like you job's done then. You'll be rid of the 'dangerous prisoners'. The female sneered.

Taking a deep breath, Sur maneuvered himself beneath the consol, splicing wires and cables, attaching a pair to his ring.

"Get your sisters onto the platform. This long distance emergency teleporter will get you away from here. I'll use the last of my ring's charge to get you out of here. But without any coordinates, the lot of you could end up just about anywhere." He said shortly

"What about you?" the male human asked.

"I'll get out of this somehow, one way or another." He replied darkly.

The two humans looked at each other, wordlessly dragging their comatose friends onto the platform.

"Thanks." The young man replied gruffly as they disappeared.

"I'm gonna need every last bit of charge if I want to walk away from this…" the red skinned being grimaced, raising his ring and holding up his power battery.

"In brightest day, in blackest night, no evil shall escape my sight! Let those who worship evil's might, beware my power, Green…GARGH!"

He let out a yelp of pain as the heat of reentry tore the main door off its hinges, flooding the ship's cabin with blazing fire. Then… everything went white.

* * *

><p>Naturally, none of the inhabitants of the undesignated planet knew of the drama taking place hundreds of miles above their head.<p>

This was a world of piracy. A world where mighty crews of plunderers and ne'er do wells fought over treasures that would make grown men weep with envy.

But there was one man who was better than the lot of them put together. His name was Gol D. Roger, and he was the best! He had it all, fame, power, wealth, women, there was nothing that he wasn't capable of.

But eventually, his time passed and he was executed for crimes against the world government. His last speech before they lopped off his head sent shockwaves through the world.

"My treasure? Oh, it's out there! And anyone who manages to find it, it's yours! But you'll have to search the world to find it!" he had said.

Thus the great age of piracy was ignited. Hundreds of crews prowled the seas looking for the fabled one piece, Gold Rogers treasure.

But this story isn't about any of these people, oh no! It's about a six year old boy, who was hoping to catch the attention of an up and coming group of pirates.

"I've had enough of you bastards making fun of me! I'm gonna prove myself to you once and for all!" Luffy roared, holding a knife up high.

"Go for it!" one of the pirates cackled.

"I wanna see what he's got up his sleeve this time!" another chortled.

"How much you wanna bet he's gonna jump into the sea?"

"I'll take that bet! A hundred Beli says that the runt blows himself up again!"

"Fifty says he tried to fire himself out of a canon."

"Two hundred that he picks a fight with that giant tiger in mount Corbo."

"You're on!" The first snickered.

THUNK!

The crows watched in alarm as he plunged the blade into his own face.

"YEOOOOOOW!-!-!" the would be pirate king howled.

* * *

><p>"Luffy, I'm sure if I want to call you a masochist or the bravest kid I know!" Shanks chortled.<p>

"Aw, that didn't hurt one bit! Now will you take me out to sea?" Luffy pleaded.

"HA! Like you could stand a single solitary day as a pirate! You can't even swim!" the red headed brigand snickered, waving the boy off.

"Oi! I'll be fine as long as I stay on the ship! I'm a pretty good fighter to boot! My punch is as strong as a pistol!" the young boy boasted.

"A pistol huh? Come on captain, let's let the boy go once, that ought to satisfy him!" one of the captain's subordinates wheedled.

"He'll make a fine brigand!" another member of the red haired pirates giggled drunkenly as he and his fellow crew mates danced by.

"A pirates life is the life for me!" another chorused.

"If you start singing, I'm gonna slug you!" another warned.

"The sea is deep and vast, you can do just about anything!" a third piped up.

"All right, one of you can say behind, and he can take your place, if that's how you feel…" the captain replied dryly.

"The cap'n's made up his mind; the boy's not going! Let's drink!" the can-caning buccaneers whooped as they danced away.

"Fat lot of help you all are!" Luffy snapped angrily.

"Aw, don't be like that…have a drink of juice!" Shanks smiled innocently, passing the boy a mug.

"Thanks!" the dark haired boy replied, taking a sip.

"What kind of pirate drinks juice!-?" the captain laughed madly, almost falling off his bar stool.

Utterly irate at being tricked, Luffy threw the mug at his mentor's head and stalked away.

"I stab myself in the face, I jump into the sea, I blow myself up, and all that Shanks does is make fun of me. What do I have to do to make him take me seriously?" the would be pirate muttered under his breath.

"Learn to swim for one…" the first mate replied dryly.

"Are you makin' fun of me too?" the young man frowned.

"Nope. The captain only has you best interest in mind. What would happen if you got hurt? Your grandfather would have our collective butts in a sling. He's not making fun of you, he just doesn't want you to get hurt." Ben Beckman snorted.

"Oh anchor! Want some more juice?" the captain giggled.

"I think…" the scarred man rolled his eyes.

It was at that moment that the first mate realized Luffy wasn't standing in front of him anymore. The boy's attention span had run out a good thirty seconds earlier.

The dark haired man blanched when he saw that the would be pirate had rooted through the small pile of treasure they intended to use to pay for this week's drink. And he had discovered the one item that should not have fallen into the hands of a six year old: the devil fruit they had found in that raid a few months earlier. Shanks had been planning on selling it to finance the purchase of a new ship once they found a decent sized (and discreet) ship yard.

"Oh! A mystery food!" the future pirate giggled.

The trouble maker was about to bite into a hundred million Belies worth of treasure!

"Get away from there!" Beckman growled, batting the fruit out of the boy's hand with the butt of his rifle, and yanking him back by the collar of his shirt.

BANG!

Every eye in the room turned when the swinging doors nearly flew off their hinges from the kick of a dusty looking mountain bandit, who was accompanied by no less than a dozen of his cohorts.

"Make way, ya stupid looking pirates! Higuma the bear is here! I have an eight million beli bounty on my head!" the topknot clad man boasted.

He slapped his hand down on the bar, "That'll be ten barrels of your best sake, and make it quick!" he ordered.

"Sorry sir, but we're out at the moment…" Makino the Barkeep winced.

"Then what're they drinking?" the bandit scowled.

"I took the last bottle, you're welcome to it, if you want…" Shanks offered, holding out the container in question.

CRACK!

Higuma the bear lashed out and snatched the bottle out of Shanks's hand, smashing it across his skull.

Everything was still.

Clucking his tongue, the captain bent down and began to scoop up the shattered glass, muttering under his breath about the mess.

Sneering, the bandit unsheathed his sword and swept it along the bar with the sickening sound of splattered food and shattered kitchenware.

"Since you like cleaniin' so much, you can enjoy it even more now…" the duster wearing man spat, gesturing for his men to follow him.

"Buncha freakin' cowards, the whole lot of 'em. This town's noting more that a sake-less piece of shit…" the bandit muttered mutinously.

For thirty long seconds, the assorted pirates stared at their captain, their expressions unreadable. Even Luffy could sense the tension in the air.

"WA-HA-HA-HA! That bastard sure made a monkey out of you, eh cap'n!" Lucky Roo whooped.

Luffy stood there seething for thirty long seconds…

"What the **hell** is wrong with you?-! That bandit made you look like an idiot and you just stood there and took it?" the bandaged youth snarled.

Shanks gazed at Luffy with an unreadable look, "You'll understand when you're older."

Snorting belligerently, Luffy stomped off, "I'm going to find a real role model…" he muttered under his breath.

"Are you sure it's a good idea to let him walk away angry?" Makino asked as she gently brushed the shattered glass off the pirate's head and shoulders, her fingers lingering for a few extra seconds.

"He'll get over it. The boy need to learn that not every battle needs to be fought…" the captain replied dryly.

* * *

><p>It was many hours later, the sun had long since set and the stars were twinkly brightly overhead.<p>

"Stupid Shanks! Stupid pirates! _Minna no baka!"_ The irate boy spat into the sea, lobbing handfuls of stone with each word.

Luffy stood there panting, "I'll prove it to him! I'll prove to Shanks that I can be a pirate! I'll be even better than him! I'll…I'll be the bestest pirate ever! That'll… that'll show that coward! **I'll be so great, that I'll be king of the pirates!"**

It was at that moment that Luffy caught sight of something out of the corner of his eye. It was a twinkling light, far off on the horizon, and it was drifting closer to shore.

"OOOH!" A mystery light…sooo shiny!" the boy giggled, momentarily forgetting about his pledge.

The newly declared future pirate king squinted at the flashing brightness, leaning further and further over the cliff before the inevitable happened.

"WHAAAAAA!"

He tumbled down the embankment and onto the beach below.

SPLAT!

"MRPH! PHRMA! PHAGH!" Luffy yelped, yanking his head out of the ground and spitting sand.

He looked up and Saw that the twinkling green light had reached the shore. It was a man, or at least something that looked like a man. His skin was a deep crimson, and his face was oddly flat and hairless, like someone has put his head in a vice until all discernable features were squashed. He was clothed in a tattered green body suit, with a torn green and white symbol on the front.

The future pirate king blanched when he caught the scent of burned and charred flesh. Most of the mystery man's upper torso was a mass of pulped, bruised, and burned skin.

"Oi, jiji, are you OK?" the young boy asked.

"Urg…" The man gurgled.

Trembling, the boy desperately tried to lift the larger being onto his back, "Hold on! I'll get help! The village doctor will put you back together!"

"Stop! Please. I won't last more than a few minutes." The stranger hissed, his expression resigned.

"Is there anything I can do aka-ossan?" the dark haired boy gulped.

"You're younger than I would have liked, and I don't have enough charge to start a search. Take my ring, and say the Oath! Use it to do what I couldn't; the right thing!" Abin sur instructed his would be protégé.

That was when the alien pressed two objects into Luffy's hand: a small green stone ring embossed with the same symbol on dying man's chest, and a metallic emerald lantern.

It was at that moment, the light went out of his eyes, and Abin Sur, the most decorated Green lantern in the Corps passed on.

His lip trembling, Luffy pulled the still form out of the water to the coast line and started to dig, knowing that he only had a little while before people started looking for him.

* * *

><p>It was less than an hour later that Luffy was holed up in the spare room above Makino's bar, the dresser pushed in front of the door. The boy knew it wouldn't do squat to stop his grandpa, but every little bit helped. And he felt in his heart of hearts that this was important.<p>

"Ok, he said to say the oath…but I don't know it..." the would be lantern muttered under his breath, poking the inactive object with his finger.

"I pledge allegiance…to the Lantern!" he declared, putting his hand over his heart.

Nothing.

"I'm gonna be king of the lanterns?" he tried.

Nada.

"Roses are red, violets are blue, if you don't do something lantern…I'm gonna kick your ass!" Garp's grandson declared.

Zilch.

"Do something damn it!" the boy snarled, punching the lantern with a solid right, slamming the green ring on his finger into the glassy surface.

_ZAAAAAAKKKK!_

The future lantern let out a yelp of alarm as bolts of emerald energy played over his body, wrapping him in a green cocoon of light.

"YEOW! SHANKS! MAKINO! GRANPA! SOMEONE HELP MEEEE!" Luffy bawled as he was lifted into the air, out the open window and past the atmosphere…

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, on Okarra<strong>…<strong>

Nabiki Tendo groaned her eyes fluttered open, her head pounding like that time she had made the mistake of listening to one of Kuno baby's speeches for too long.

That was when the memories hit.

The mercenary daughter of Soun Tendo fought the urge to vomit as she tried to get the image of her family's expressions out her head as they we gunned down by those things…those manhunters. Those chilling mechanical voices as they razed the entire planet and wiped out everyone. Ryoga, Pantyhose Taro, Genma, Happosai, Cologne, Shampoo, Ukyo, no one had been able to stop them. Even Ranma had fought a losing battle against such numbers.

That was when she was brought back to reality by a single chilling sound.

Plodding footsteps.

The remaining rational part of her mind knew that the chances of whoever it was being friendly were next to zero.

The mercenary girl scrambled to her feet and lunged into the bushes.

That was when she saw them. There were over a dozen beings of all shapes and sizes, some round, some tall, some short, but all of them had one thing in common. They were all bathed in the same glowing orange light.

"_Well, well, well, I don't think I have a human in my collection yet…"_ a giggling voice said.

Looking up, nabiki felt her blood freeze in her veins. The being above her was clad in a tight orange body suit, that covered his skinny, almost malnourished frame like a second skin. He was covered (presumably) from head to toe in matted brows fur. His face was something only a mother could love: two beady glowing orange eyes set over a long snout with teeth a little too sharp for Nabiki's comfort. He was clutching a orange metallic lantern that was the same color as his bodysuit and the luminous beings behind her.

"MINE!" he roared, lunging for her.

* * *

><p><strong>And on Zamaron…<strong>

Two pink clad females dragged a struggling, chained, and shackled male through the corridors of their planetary fortress, conversing as if he wasn't there.

"Let me go damn it! What did you do to the Tendos? Tell me damn it!" he cried out desperately.

"Such aggression in this one, don't you agree sister?" the azure skinned one holding his right arm commented.

"Indeed, sister. It is fortuitous that he possesses such a valuable shape shifting ability. When combined with her above average form, will make for an ideal host for our queen and entity: the predator." The blond to the right replied.

"What do you mean convert? I'm a guy damn it! Take these shackles off and see how far you can convert me!-!" he snarled.

"I'm afraid not. You really should feel honored. You will be the latest host for our queen, once we perform the proper modification to curb that aggressive male tendency of yours…" the blue skinned one smiled sweetly.

Ranma felt a chill run down his spine as he redoubled his struggles.

"**Damn you! You won't get away with this! You may** **brainwash me,** **but I'll get free! I don't lose! Ranma Saotome doesn't…"** he bellowed as he was placed into a hollow pink crystal…

CRACK!

Which slammed shut over him.

* * *

><p><strong>Ysmault…<strong>

Akane Tendo let out a horse sob as she climbed over the barren plateau. She had come to several hours earlier. She had limped off in a random direction, desperately attempting to find food or water, if only to survive for a short while longer.

That was when she saw it.

Blood: a rolling sea of boiling blood. It had to have been at least two hundred feet from shore to shore.

That was when it hit her. There was no food, no water, no people on this world. There was truly no way to survive on this blood soaked hell hole.

So Akane did the only thing left for her to do: she gave into the anger that had been her close companion for so long.

"**I'm Akane Tendo Of the Tendo School of Anything goes! I'll find the bastards who ripped my family apart. I'll find the ones that commanded the Manhunters** **and beat them into a bloody smear!** **This universe has made me its whipping boy, but I swear I'll be the one to do the whipping!"** she screamed into the cloudy sky.

"_Such potent anger! Such white hot burning rage…"_ A growling voice said.

Stiffening the sole living being on the planet squinted at the crimson pool where the voice was emanating from. Realization hit her that the ripples and bubbles were becoming much more localized near the center.

She took a fearful step back when a malformed, indistinct shape rose from the depths.

"_I know of the ones who wronged you child, because they did the same thing to my people. Their manhunters wiped out every planet in this sector, turning this place into one giant grave." _The shape rumbled.

"What does that have to do with me?" the short tempered girl asked stiffly.

"_Work with me! Together we can topple the guardians and their hypocrisy! We can avenge our loved ones that were so cruelly ripped away. Allow me to use your body, and I will (as you put it) beat those who wronged you _**into a bloody smear."** The voice whispered sibilantly. The beings words were like honey laced with poison, sweet, but oh so deadly.

The young woman knew there was only one course of action.

"Take me…" she hissed softly, feeling like she had made a deal with the devil.

"**YEEEESSS!"** the being roared triumphantly, surging upward in a tidal wave of boiling blood before crashing back down into the ready girl, pouring down her throat.

the blue haired girl fell to her knees, hacking and sputtering as pure agony ripped through her, like someone had replaced her vital fluids with acid.

Suddenly, her lips opened as a torrent of blood spewed out, staining the air around her a violent crimson. Then, it spoke.

"Atrocitus, the last of the five inversions, **lives again**!" the thing who now occupied the youngest Tendo's body roared into the night.

And the universe trembled.

* * *

><p>Kasumi had wandered through the lush world of Odym for the last week. She had done her best no to succumb to despair, hoping that Ranma, her sisters, someone would come to save her from this isolation, this gilded cage.<p>

"**HELP!" **her cry echoed across the sky unanswered, except forthe squawks of local fauna.

**"**_**Somebody**_**"** She shouted again.

"**Anybody…" ** the eldest daughter buried her head in her hands, sobbing for what she had lost….for what she would never have

"Help…" Soun's oldest whimpered.

**Next time on Green Lantern of the Grand Line…**

_**Our soon to be corpsman learns that the universe is much bigger than he thought.**_

_**Luffy: You smell funny**_

_**? ? ?: Just for that, you've earned a one way ticket to the worst day of your life poozer.**_

_**But at the same time, he makes some unexpected allies, or has he?**_

_**? ? ?: I'll take over from here, drill sergeant. **_

_**? ? ?: Try not to break the spoor too badly.**_

_**But an unexpected foe leads to a baptism by fire.**_

_**? ? ?: No man escaped the manhunters!**_

_**Next time on Green Lantern of the Grand Line: Invasion! Luffy's vs. the Manhunters!**_

**Remember Folks, read, review, and check out the challenges on my profile page.**_**  
><strong>_


	2. Chapter 1

**Once again, I'd like to thank my readers for their interest in this fic, and my girlfriend SwordMasterZ for the inspiration that got this off the ground.**

Chapter 1: Invasion! Luffy vs. the Manhunters!

Luffy desperately thrashed in his emerald prison for what seemed like hours (actually, it was about fifteen minutes). His struggles ended when he attempted to throw his lantern at the bubble separating him from the vacuum of space. The object rebounded and beaned him upside the head, knocking the young boy out cold.

It was many, many light years the Dragon's son neared the planet that would become his home away from home for many years to come: Oa, the headquarters of the Green Lantern corps.

* * *

><p>"<em>Wake up."<em> A gruff voice insisted.

"Mmmmm…Five more minutes Grandpa." The young boy mumbled.

"Ten credits say the little guy gets it." A second snorted.

"I don't take sucker bets" a third retorted.

"**I said wake up you little poozer!"** the first voice roared it the top of his lungs.

The would be pirate king let out a yelp of surprise and pain as something strong as steel tossed him into the air.

WHAM!

The young boy let out a cry of pain as he impacted the unyielding ground head first.

"What the hell was that for you *Unable to translate*!" the dark haired boy snarled angrily. His temper died a quick when he saw who had tossed him. The being (there wasn't any other way to describe him) was over seven feet tall and was at least fourteen times the six year olds weight, at least. Let's not forget the fact that he wasn't human. The mystery creature was a walking mountain of muscles, topped by a vaguely porcine head.

"Care to repeat that statement?" Kilowog rumbled, fetid steam rising out of his nostrils.

Gulping, the young boy scrambled to his feet and desperately remembered the greeting Shanks taught him; "Um…I said…nice to meet you, oni-bunta san! (Mr. Pig demon)" the frightened boy gulped.

POW!

A green cudgel exploded out of the creatures ring and cracked Luffy across the face, sending him sprawling.

"We have a smart mouth here, got anything more to say funny man?" the drill sergeant sneered hoisting the boy up by the scruff of his neck.

"You smell funny?" the boy gurgled dizzily.

"Time for ring slinging 101. Anyone know what these things run off of?" the larger alien barked.

"WILLPOWER!" was the collective answer.

"Correct! Now onto the first lesson: making constructs." The pink skinned alien said darkly. A blob separated from his ring and formed into a rough, but unmistakable, catapult.

"These rings are powered by will. Your imagination and willpower shapes the energy and makes it reality." He said.

BOING!

"WAIEEEEEEEE!" the boy yelped as he was hurled into the air.

"_Mortal peril detected. Initiating countermeasures. Personality matrix online. WARNING! Corruption identified! Multiple persona present. Initializing Program Persona Pon3-1 through Pon3-6."_ A deadpan voice said.

Suddenly the boy was shocked to find that he was enveloped in a skintight green cocoon that kept him in mid air.

"Whoa! This is sooooo COOL!" the pirate enthused.

"_I'm glad ya'll 're enjoyin' this, now how about ya focus one somethin' lahk…I dunno…dodgin'?" _his ring snorted.

"GACK!" Luffy yelped as he willed himself out of the way of an emerald blast that would have knocked him out of the air.

"These rings can do just about anything. Even simulate things like unstoppable force of gravity. But this only happens if your will is strong enough to make it happen! " Kilowog rumbled as his latest construct took the shape of a sun.

"WHAAAA! GRANDPA! HELP MEEEEE!" Luffy sobbed as he was pulled toward the blazing green pyre.

PHOOM!

An emerald lance shot out of the crowd and speared through the sun, snuffing it like a candle.

"Who did that?" the drill sergeant snarled.

"That would be me." A slightly accented voice said lightly. The newcomer was male, looked to be into his late teens, maybe early twenties. Upon looking at him for the first time, Luffy noticed two things. First off, he was thin. While not quite emaciated, he was definitely skinny. Second, his hair was the funkiest thing he had ever seen. It looked like he had gotten into a fight with a mad barber and lost. It stood up in irregular spikes of black with red highlights. And the front was divided into blond bangs that stuck out at odd angles.

"When did you get back, Mouto?" the senior lantern uttered neutrally.

"About five minutes into this curb stomp. And thank goodness my cultural Anthropology 101 class let out early. I have a question, what do you know about human growth and development?" the newly named Mouto asked dryly.

"Not much."

"Then you wouldn't know that the new recruit you nearly torched is six years old. He's nothing more than a child."

"Urk!" Kilowog replied intelligently, cursing silently.

The newcomer knelt in front of Luffy, "Sorry about that. Humans are a rare sight around these parts. Now how about we get you patched up and then you can answer a few questions?" the newcomer smiled amicably.

For a moment, Luffy imagined an image of a baby panda superimposed over the new guy.

"T'anks…" Luffy mumbled, wiping the snot and tears that had stained his face.

* * *

><p>After the kind hearted nurse bandaged him up, it was question and answer time.<p>

"Where am I? What's the pig guy's problem? Why are the stars so different? What's with the uniforms?" Luffy babbled, bouncing up and down with a kind of exuberance only a child can possess… that is until a green clamp covered his mouth.

"In that order: you are on the planet Oa in Sector 0. Kilowog's a drill sergeant. It's his job to be cranky. The stars are different from your home planet because you're many, many, many light years away from home. And last but not least, this is the uniform of the Green lantern corps: intergalactic peace keepers who help those who can't help themselves!" Yugi said proudly.

Silence reigned for thirty long seconds as the would be pirate gave the more experienced lantern a cross look.

"I heard enough about the marines from my Grandpa. I wanna be a pirate, not a police officer!" Luffy made a face, darting past the corpsman and making a break for the door.

"Hold up a sec. I have a few questions I need to ask you!" the lantern protested as a kunai attached to a chain exploded out of his ring wrapped around the rookie.

"How did you do that?-!" the young boy gasped, eyeing the green object rapturously.

"I made a construct. It's the same thing that every ring can do. I can find someone to teach you the basics if you answer a few questions." The odd looking lantern said innocently.

So over the next several minutes, Luffy began to talk. He explained everything he knew. His confrontation with Shanks, his desire to be the pirate king, finding Abin's dying body and inheriting the lantern, all the way up to accidentally knocking himself unconscious.

"*Unable to translate*! Abin was on a simple refugee transport mission. Why would he not only fly so far out of the way, but not use his ring?" Yugi mumbled.

_BZZT!_

The ring sparked.

"_Really, Dahling! Dear Abin was the only one worthy of one as fashionable as myself. He had such a kind soul. And such style! That man could even make those tacky green suits look good! On most people, a green and white jumpsuit would clash with red skin! The unfortunately unfashionable would look like a Christmas tree. As to that 'mission'… MRPH!"_ the ring sputtered as Yugi encased it in a soundproof green bubble.

"Gotta get that thing fixed." Yugi shook his head.

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

Luffy cocked his head as he looked at the older boy's face as he examined the coded message

delivered through his ring. He looked worried.

"What's wrong?" the rookie blinked owlishly.

"This is not super special awesome…the guardians want to talk to you." Yugi said grimly.

* * *

><p>"Who are these guardian guys?" Luffy asked as he floated slowly along. He still hadn't gotten the hang of flight yet, and every once in a while, the green aura that kept him aloft would fail if he flew too fast.<p>

"They are the de-facto leaders of the corps. They are immortals who are older than some planets. On top of that, they are touchy and opinionated. Don't speak unless spoken to, and for the love of Duel Monsters, don't give them any backtalk! Be respectful" the retired king of games pleaded.

"What's 're-spect-ful' mean? Oh neat!" the boy asked, having just figured out how to make a long prehensile construct that he used to pick his nose.

"We're doomed!" Yugi moaned.

* * *

><p>"Ah! How very prompt of you, Green lantern Mouto, and the newest rookie. The Guardians wish to know of the details of this child's…recruitment. Rest assured, all of us regret Abin's death." The vaguely lizard like, four armed lantern and door guard said solemnly.<p>

"Thanks. I'm sure he knows as much." Yugi responded.

"Who was this Abin guy?" Luffy asked.

"Only one of the most decorated Lanterns in the history of the Corps. He saved the lives of billions of people in dozens of sectors. And that's his ring you have on your hand. Everyone for light decades around knows the name of Abin Sur!"

"Light…decade? Is that longer than a foot?" the would be pirate picked his nose.

"Yes…much much longer." Yugi deadpanned, momentarily wondering what kind of education system this boy's home planet used.

"How much longer?"

Sighing, Yugi held his hand slightly apart. "This is a foot."

He held them out wider, "This is a yard."

He pointed to a nearby building.

"The distance from here to there is about a mile."

He gestured out to the blackness of space.

"A light year is about… six trillion times the distance from that building to here. Your planet is about…thirty light years from here."

Luffy's pupils shrank to pin pricks as steam poured out of his ears from processing what he had just learned.

"I gotta get out of here! Grandpa's gonna murder me! I'm not even supposed to leave the island, let alone the planet!-! URK" the boy babbled, flying toward the atmosphere, only to be stopped in his tracks when a green lasso caught Luffy in mid air and dragged him back.

"And how exactly are you going to do that?" Yugi deadpanned.

"…"

"I thought so. You're not even old enough to be allowed to cross the street on your own, let alone navigate across the galaxy. I promise you, if you don't run away and don't do anything stupid, we'll talk to the guardians and get this straightened out." The tri hair colored lantern said soothingly.

* * *

><p>The guardians meditation chamber was…regal to save the least. The ceiling was raised at least thirty feet into the air, and printed with a holographic image of moving stars. Each of the diminutive azure beings sat on a raised dais well above the heads of the two lanterns.<p>

"This meeting has been called to order so that…" the being on the farthest left platform drawled.

"Oh! Oh! I'll have brazed meat, still on the bone!" Luffy giggled, jumping up and down.

"Excuse me?" the blue skinned being who had been interrupted narrowed his eyes.

"Well, you asked for an order, and I haven't eaten in a while!" the future pirate giggled happily.

"How droll. Now if we can get down to business. With Abin Sur's demise, it must be determined if this young human is capable of handling sector 2814." The guardian in the very center said flatly.

_Bzzt! His ring sparked._

"_YEAH! I love meeting new people! Do you know what this calls for? A party!"_ the ring cheered happily.

Streaks of green light flew out of Luffy's ring, blinding everyone in attendance.

No one was sure when it happened, but when they opened their eyes, the room had been festooned with glowing green balloons and streamers. Each of the guardians were wearing emerald party hats and had a noise maker in their mouths.

"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?-!" the guardian to the far right thundered.

"_It's a party silly! That's what you do when you meet new people! I just met Yugi, and the this cutie-wootie Luffy-woofie, and all of you frownie faces, so this calls for an extra special party!" _the ring bubbled happily.

"I can answer that sir! The heat of reentry seems to have damaged the personality matrix of the ring. We've cataloged at least three separate personalities so far." Yugi winced.

_Bzzt!_

Everyone tensed, momentarily wondering what off the wall personality was going to crop up next

"_Eep! I'm sorry!"_ The ring squeaked, turning bright red, almost as if it were blushing shyly.

"Bwuh?" Yugi blinked owlishly.

"I think we can bring that count up to four." Another of the guardians snorted, a sardonic grin on his face.

"_I'm sorry! I don't know what came over me. Please don't melt me down…if that's Ok?"_ The ring whimpered, turning an almost luminescent crimson.

"I'll consider it, if you get that thing fixed if you get the chance. Now back onto the topic at hand. Given the young age of Abin's successor, it would be prudent to appoint him a trainer until he gains the skills to act on his own." The center guardian said.

"Wait! You're letting him keep the ring?" Yugi sputtered, ignoring the boy's wildly sparking ring as its personality shifted again and again, letting out a multi tonal raucous cheer.

"The rings are almost never wrong. They choose a person for a reason. And Abin's ring did not leave this young child once it was recharged. So there must be something that makes him worthy of being a lantern, a diamond in the rough, if you will." The guardian who smiled earlier said.

"But who will train him?" the older lantern asked.

"Considering you were Abin's protégé, it would be only fitting if you trained the one to bear his ring next." The third guardian from the right said.

"But…but….I have other responsibilities! I'm still a student, and I'm in the middle of a very detailed report about the twelfth dynasty of Egypt! Why doesn't Sinestro do it?-! He knew Abin better than me!" the young man protested.

"Because, unlike you, his sector requires extensive monitoring. You have a relatively quiet one thirty six hundredth of the universe to keep an eye on. So you can consider this a request to look after the boy until you deem him ready." The center one said softly.

"Un-*Unable to translate*-in believable! I hate it when you people use logic against me…" Yugi groaned.

* * *

><p>Second after the duo walked out…<p>

"You're thoughts?" one of the Guardians asked.

"The boy is rougher than expected." Another responded.

"Indeed. And this psychological profile we gained from the initial cerebral scan is…worrisome." A third remarked darkly.

"His heart's desire is to become a pirate? It's unheard of!" A fourth sneered.

"The boy's childish desires must be curtailed. We will issue instructions that he be kept occupied, which will keep him mind on other subjects."

"Indeed. We must secure the loyalty of Abin's successor. People will look to him in time as a leader when he comes into his skills. In addition to this, in the remote chance that the name Luffy D. Monkey becomes infamous, it would become a stain on the corps reputation."

"I believe he identifies himself in a similar manner to the Japanese of Green Lantern Mouto's home planet, last name first." Another interjected.

"That is irrelevant to these proceedings! Back onto topic, Green Lantern Mouto's will do as we have asked. The boy's drive is commendable, despite his questionable past…and associates…"

A collective shiver went through their ranks.

"In spite of his delving into forbidden magics that should be left forgotten, Mouto's loyalty to the corps is beyond question. He will not disparage the idea that training Luffy D. Monkey repays his debt to the late Abin Sur."

"In a way, Abin's death, and the death of his prisoners, is a blessing in disguise. It is one less potential skeleton in our collective closets that can be exposed."

"The death of a lantern is not a thing to be celebrated!"

"I did not mean to imply as such. Merely that the end of the prisoners is an added benefit."

"Arguing will get us nowhere. This meeting is adjourned. We will discuss matter in greater depth, at a later date."

* * *

><p>A short while later…<p>

"Wow! So many nakama…" Luffy gasped, looking at the hundreds of different lanterns of all shapes and sizes arrayed around the mess hall.

"That's… one way of putting it." Yugi shrugged.

"Eh?" the would be pirate blinked.

"We Lanterns aren't allowed to interact on patrols, so this is about the only time we can socialize. The former king of games shrugged.

"That's stupid! Who came up with that dumb idea?"

"That would be the blue guys!"

_Bzzt!_ The ring sparked yet again.

"_Psst! Luffy!"_ the ring hissed.

"What do you want?" the boy frowned, remembering the inopportune introduction party hosted in the Guardian's citadel.

"_Y'all wanta make a good first impression?" _

"I dunno. The last time I trusted you, I nearly got my head blown off."

"_Sorry 'bout that. Just a little bit of advice: If ya wanna make 'em treat a like a cowpoke, ya gotta walk like one!"_ the ring instructed.

_Bzzt!_

"_You don't know what you're talking about!"_ another voice protested.

"And you do?" Yugi asked dubiously.

"_As a matter of fact I do! I've done the research on interaction between lanterns of different species."_

"Wow! Can you teach me how to get my Nakama to like me?" Luffy asked enthusiastically.

"_The process is very simple. Now take this pose and follow my instructions: Shoulders back, knees together, chest high, feet apart, head up and strut!"_ the ring instructed.

If Yugi had not been buying lunch, he would have seen that his student was no longer behind him, and was now waddling toward a group of lanterns.

That sinking feeling he would have had would have went even further south if he had seen exactly **who** Luffy was waddling toward: Thaal Sinestro, and fellow veteran Bzzd. They were examining the shaved and tattooed belly of a portly canine green lantern: G'nort.

"This time I'm sure of it! This tattoo will protect me from harm." He boasted, showing off the intricate dragon on his stomach.

Bzzd flew in close and examined the mark critically.

POW!

"WHOOF!"

Suddenly, an emerald fist flew out of his ring and smacked the larger creature in the stomach.

"I hope you kept the receipt!" Sinestro snorted, patting the wheezing lantern on the back

"What do I do next?" Luffy asked.

"_Remember: lanterns respect attitude. Be tough like this guy here."_ The ring formed an arrow that pointed at the smallest of the duo.

"What are you looking at?" the insect snapped, looming in front of his face, stinger inches from Luffy's nose.

"_Just a second…I got it! Punch him, it's how men say 'hello'!"_

_Bzzt!_ The ring sparked.

"_Wait a second, don't…"_ the emerald accessory protested as its personality shifted.

FWAP!

Bzzd's world spun as Luffy's hand arced up and smacked him across the room.

"Nice to meet you, Mushi-san!" the boy smiled brightly.

FWHUMP!

"EEK!"

"What…did you think you were doing?" Sinestro asked menacingly, hoisting the boy off the ground.

"Um…um…um…" the boy babbled.

"Pathetic!" the senior lantern sneered.

"_Now I'll slap him on the behind, they like that." _The ring whispered.

WHAP!

The room stilled as a feeling of killing intent washed over them like a tide.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, in the lunch line, Yugi blanched as he felt a familiar bloodlust.<p>

"Please tell me that my student isn't involved…" he moaned

* * *

><p>"EEK!" Luffy squeaked as twin sabers materialized in Sinestro's hands.<p>

Wordlessly, the crimson skinned lantern swing his blade in a overhead arc, Luffy scrambled backwards as the lantern feinted and brought the pommel of his sword down on the boys head.

CLANG!

The first thing that came to mind was a rough shield, little more than a green disk of energy. It was thin, it was flimsy, it was weak, but it did an adequate job.

CLANG!

CLANG!

CLANG!

Note the word adequate. Three more blows were all it took the crack the barrier like cheap glass.

"As I said before, you are truly pathetic. You're not worthy to tie the late of my friend's boots! You are a babe among adults." the Korugarian growled, his expression harsh.

_Bzzt!_

"_Who you callin' a babe!-! Ya'll can say that to my face ya limp noodle!"_ the ring bellowed.

That was when things got worse.

* * *

><p>Ganthet and Kilolwog walked slowly across the main plaza that connected the main areas of Oa, including the archives, the elevators to the sciencells, the guardians citadel, and the mess hall.<p>

"Honestly sir, I wasn't expect any of my recruits to be that young. You know as well as I do that I have children of my own, and would ring the neck of anyone who lays a hand someone underage." The drill sergeant said contritely.

"And as I told you, I can hardly hold your actions against you. We only had one human in the entirety of the corps. There was no ways for you to have known." The small blue skinned alien said.

"One more question, is Yugi Mouto really going to train the little poozer? Yeah, he's a veteran of a ton of campaigns, but he specializes in book learning, not combat!"

"Be that as it may, he still has my full confidence that he can keep the young boy occupied until he can return to his home planet under his own power."

CRASH!

"What was that?" the smaller of the two blinked as he veered toward the commissary.

The moment they opened the door, their eyes took in the sight of total pandemonium.

Dozens upon dozens of lanterns of all shapes and sizes were beating the stuffing out of each other (in once case literally, since Green lantern 9 was a living ragdoll). Others were egging the combatants on or trading money depending on the victors and losers.

Taking a deep breath, Ganthet conjured a microphone and a pair of emerald speakers that reached all the way to the ceiling.

"Testing…1…2…3." He said before taking a deep breath.

Kilowog wisely stuffed his ears full of emerald cotton.

"_**ENOUGH!"**_ the guardian bellowed at the top of his lungs.

The sheer concussive force from the vocal blast shattered every window in a mile wide radius.

The combatants and spectators alike were blown off their feet. Moans of pain and agony were heard as the various lanterns stumbled to their feet (or equivalent appendages).

"What, may I ask, caused multiple sectors worth of lanterns to act like a pack of underage school children?"

Despite the guardians mild tone, you could tell that he was displeased to say the least.

So, they answered him.

"He started it!" was the collective answer as every lantern in the room pointed at a dazed Monkey D. Luffy, who still had Sinestro's hands wrapped around his neck.

* * *

><p>A half hour later, Yugi paced in front of his foolish student, "I had hoped that you could keep out of trouble for five minutes. I had hoped that you could handle simple interaction. I suppose it's to be expected, since your planet is so far behind the majority of the universe."<p>

Luffy was sitting in a simple wooden chair in the middle of the main plaza. The beings that passed watched curiously, wondering what was going to happen next. Those that knew the king of games better than a passing acquaintance eagerly waited for the other shoe to drop.

"So in order to catch you up on intergalactic happenings, I've prepared some reading material!" the older of the two smiled brightly.

"Bleh! I don't need books! Pirates don't read!" Luffy made a face.

"I beg to differ. The first is a treatise on the habits of various species!" Yugi said, pulling a book out of an ominously bulging sack he had at his side and dropping it in the boys lap.

WHUMPH!

"A tome on space travel."

THUMP**!**

"An Essay on ethics from the perspective of a Green lantern."

WHAM!

"URK!" Luffy gulped as he struggled under the growing pile of books. The stack had already reached his chin.

BAM!

"Also, a text on interstellar myths and fables (who says that all of this reading has to be boring)."

THWAP!

"The standard issue text book 'Ring slinging 101'."

WHAP!

At this point, Luffy's legs felt like they were about to break. The pile reached well above his head. The chair creaked ominously.

"And last but not least: a pamphlet: 'Your ring and you, a beginner's guide'!" the teacher smiled grimly, gently placing the sheaf of papers on top of the stack.

CRACK!

The pamphlet proved to be the proverbial straw the broke the camel's back as the chair collapsed into a pile of kindling, dumping Luffy to the ground with the books on top of him.

"And all of this has to be read by the end of the month." Yugi smiled happily.

A pained groan was the only response.

* * *

><p>It was several days of isolation (plus one incident involving the Green lantern crypt and several buckets of yellow paint) and hard training later that Luffy became the first being from his home planet to achieve interstellar travel.<p>

He gasped in shock and wonder as he looked at the stars and galaxies. The dancing cosmos seemed closer than he had ever dreamed possible.

"This…is…so…COOL!" the boy gushed, tears and snot of joy streaming down his face.

The ring sparked.

"_Yep this is one hundred percent cool. Almost as much as me!" _Thering said happily.

"Luffy! There's something I want to show you!" his mentor beckoned the boy.

The lantern trainee followed his mentor through a complex series of wormholes and nebulas until they reached it.

Luffy felt a chill run down his spine. The thing in front of him was…well…nothing. It was a hole in the universe that seemed to be drawing everything around it into its depths.

"What…is that?" the future pirate king gulped.

"_It's a hole in space and time." _The ring responded darkly.

Yugi blinked and eyed the ring dubiously.

"_It pulls in anything that comes to close, and anything or anyone that gets pulled beyond the event horizon has to suffer through one of the most hellish deaths possible: the interior of the black hole breaks it down, molecule by molecule, over many years. Until the Spaghettification ends when something vital stops working that is."_ The personality responded tightly.

"And how do you know this?" Yugi asked.

"_I know everything about all forms of flight, including space travel. I'm just cool that way!"_

"Interesting. I think I just figured out…whoa!"

Luffy leaped onto his mentor's back, trembling with fright.

"_I don't want to get broken down!"_ the boy bawled.

"Luffy! Get off! You won't get sucked in as long as you don't get too close! Now get off my …backpack!"

Yugi's last word was screeched out as the younger boy's weight accidentally ripped the case opened and spilled its contents into the blackness of space.

"NOOOOO! Apple kun! Come back! I still haven't finished my paper on the 12th dynasty!" the older lantern wailed as he chased after his laptop.

"I got it! I got it!" Luffy yelped as he concentrated on making a fishing net construct.

Unfortunately, his overactive imagination cost him as the image in his head changed from a simple net…into a detailed replica of a ship's cannon.

POW!

The explosive emerald payload zipped past Yugi, and flew beyond the event horizon, into the maw of the Black hole.

For a moment, both floated in the blackness of space.

Then it happened, slowly at first, the inner entry to the black hole began to emit a smattering of green sparks.

Then the perfectly round disk began to warp and bend. Just looking at it made the boy's head hurt.

"How…much did you put into that cannonball?" his sensei asked fearfully.

_BZZT!_

"_About sixty percent of my charge."_ The ring squeaked.

"I was afraid of that….FLY! FLY FOR YOUR LIVES!" Yugi screamed as the duo made a break for the wormhole.

"This is Green Lantern Yugi Moto, calling all civilian channels! The black hole in coordinates 19684759384x74637493092 is about to go nova! All beings within two light years flee the area! This is no joke! That thing's gonna blow!-!" the senior lantern bellowed into his ring.

The two of them dived into the wormhole just as that section of the galaxy was consumed by the emerald fires of a supernova.

* * *

><p>It was several hours later that the guardians chamber was host to a hearing to decide the fate of one of their own. A much singed Yugi Mouto stood beside his scuffed up student.<p>

"This report is very grave." The far left guardian scowled.

"Imploding a black hole! You are beyond lucky that the disaster happened in an uninhabited sector of space." A second spat.

"'m sorry." Luffy sniffed.

"Sorry does not excuse the fact that you seem to be incapable of composing yourself. In the week you've been here, you've challenged drill sergeant Kilowog to a fight, nearly destroyed the mess hall, desecrated the crypt…" another guardian spat.

"I was just tryin' to make it happier! How was I supposed to know you didn't like yellow…" the boy whined.

"And now we have this. Your negligence caused a black hole to erupt into supernova and wipe out a good chunk of sector 200!" another snapped.

"We had high hopes for you, despite your young age. But apparently that hope was misplaced. Your thoughts Green lantern Mouto?"

"The boy has potential. Than cannon he used was pretty powerful. If we tried to recruit him again in a few years, he could go far. But as he is now, I don't think he can do it. And…and.." the older man trailed off, tears brimming in his eyes.

Everyone stilled, wondering what the Luffy's teacher would say next.

"He killed apple kun! My laptop was innocent! What did he do to deserve that? My poor baby! He never hurt anyone, He didn't even get the chance to! I had this great World of Warcraft campaign planned out to ease him into it!" Yugi bawled.

"In light of this…'evidence', is this bodies decision that trainee Green Lantern Luffy D. Monkey…"

"That's Monkey D. Luffy!" the boy snapped petulantly.

"As I was saying! He will be delivered to his home planet, and stripped of his ring. He's apparently not cut from the same cloth as the rest of the lanterns." The guardian in the center proclaimed.

* * *

><p>It was many hours after former trainee Monkey D. Luffy was led away that a non descript lantern flew through the air toward the planet's central power battery.<p>

"_Manhunter 239 to highmaster…Manhunter 239 to highmaster. I have successfully infiltrated Oa and am approaching the central battery, over._" The creature whispered into the communicator on its wrist.

"**Good. According to the schematics downloaded by our hackers, the entrance to the interior should be near the base. Plant the charges and the planet will once again belong to the Manhunters!"** a deep voice rumbled.

The dark furred, wolf like lantern landed near the south end of the base. He placed his stolen ring near what looked like a miniscule crack. The ring flashed before the fissure widened enough to allow a reasonably sized being to enter.

He stepped inside and placed several explosives around the interior. He set the timer.

5...4…3…2…1…

"NO MAN ESCAPES THE MANHUNTERS!" the automaton bellowed as his vision turned into a blazing pyre.

* * *

><p><strong>B-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-M!-!-!<strong>

Hundreds of Lanterns watched in horror as the Central Battery collapsed in a pile of charred debris.

"What the flaming hells happened?-!" Kilowog bellowed.

"How should I know?" Sinestro snapped back.

"Then get to the guardians! Tell them the central battery's been compromised!" the porcine corpsman barked back.

The drill sergeant did a double take when the perimeter alarm suddenly went off.

**VREET! VREET! VREET!**

"What now?-!" the Korugarian groaned.

That was when they saw the two hundred thousand metallic monstrosities coming over the horizon.

"Manhunters." Kilowog said grimly.

"Today is a good day to die old friend…" the veteran lantern scowled as he and his fellow corpsmen flew en mass to meet the threat.

* * *

><p>Luffy drifted despondently through the blackness of space, flanked by a pair of lanterns who were given strict orders to ensure that the young boy did not get himself into any more trouble.<p>

"_It figures…I find something other than being a pirate that I can do, and look what happens. I manage to mess things up. Just like with Shanks." _The future pirate thought.

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

Suddenly, the two guard's rings expelled identical images of Sinestro.

"_Calling all active lanterns! Oa is under attack by an army of Manhunters! The main battery has been compromised. All lanterns with a charge over thirty percent, get to the central plaza NOW!" _the veteran barked.

"You stay here!" the gem-like lantern Chaselon snapped as he and his partner Diamolon flew off.

Luffy floated there despondently as the two vanished into the distance.

* * *

><p>"Damn it! There's no end to these guys!" Yugi snapped as he and Sinestro ended up back to back, each toting identical rail guns that they used to mow down as many opponents as they could.<p>

"I saw their leader, the Highmaster, fighting near the guardians citadel. He's a walking factory that can recycle and replace his fallen troops in seconds." The red skinned lantern snarled.

"Sinestro, get everyone into the atmo." The younger lantern said.

"Excuse me? I must be hearing things. I could swear that you just said to abandon the planet." The veteran sputtered.

"No. I'm telling you to get everyone out of the line of fire."

"Out of the…Please tell me you're not planning what I think you're planning?" Sinestro groaned.

"I'm not planning what you think I'm planning." Yugi deadpanned, dispelling his gun and creating a sword that he used to lop the head of a droid that was dive bombing him.

"Liar. _This is_ _Thall Sinestro. An Omega level construct is about to be unleashed. Every Lantern get into atmo…NOW!"_ the lantern barked into an open channel.

"For your sake, you'd better come back alive." The older man frowned.

"I'm not planning on dying today. Now get out of here! Ring, upload construct WDR! Maximum charge!" he barked.

Yugi glowed like a supernova as his ring discharged a building sized emerald orb.

"State the pass code for Omega Level construct WDR." Yugi's ring stated mechanically.

"Great beast of the sky, please hear my cry. Transform thyself from orb of light and bring me victory in this fight. Envelop the deserts with your glow, and cast your rage upon my foe. Unlock your powers from deep within so that together we may win. Appear in this shadow game as I call your name: Winged Dragon of Ra!" Yugi roared.

The segmented orb above his head began to unroll, expanding into a monster that towered over even over the skyscrapers.

The Egyptian God Beast uncoiled and let out a monstrous bellow.

"**GROOOOOOAAAAARRRR!-!-!-!"**

Then the world erupted into a blaze of green fire.

* * *

><p>Luffy hung in the blackness of space.<p>

"It might not have been pirating, but that lantern stuff was pretty nice…" the future pirate king sulked.

"_Is this really how a pirate king, let alone a captain of his own ship is supposed to act?"_ his ring asked.

"Waddya mean?" the boy scowled.

"_Dhaling, let me ask you this: are you really going to let them dictate terms to you? A captain has to be a rock of stability that others rely on! Are you really going to let those close minded, azure, pinheads choose your path? Or are you going to prove that you are more than capable of moving beyond their limited expectation?" _

Luffy glanced at his ring, his expression unreadable, then he turned around and blazed a green trail toward Oa, only saying twelve words.

"Thanks Ring-kun, if anyone of the lanterns is my nakama, it's you!"

* * *

><p>Things had gone from bad to worse for the corps. The emerald fire from the Winged Dragon of Ra construct had done next to nothing against the Highmaster. The giant yellow machine had taken the brunt of the blast without even flinching. Almost a quarter of his soldiers had been vaporized, but he just kept on ticking.<p>

Weakened and down to one percent charge, the veteran lantern laid on the ground, gasping for breath.

"**Foolish organic! Now Oa belongs to the Manhunters. We will rule! And the guardians heads shall be impaled on pikes as a warning to all that oppose us!" **the droid sneered, picking up a chunk of scorcheddebris and shoving it into his chest cavity. Seconds later, a new Manhunter was expelled from the opening on his back and flew into battle.

"Sorry…Shizuka…" Yugi gurgled as the metallic titan lifted one of it feet up and lowered it toward his head.

_**CRACK!**_

Everything stopped when a deafening breaking sound resounded over the battlefield.

Yugi looked up and saw a green streak arcing toward them, moving at lightning speed.

"What. The. *Unable to translate*." The older lantern gasped.

**W-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-S-S-S-S-S-S-H-H-H-H-H!-!**

Yugi felt the skin on his face ripple as the emerald streak released a gigantic shockwave that swept up nearly all of the still functioning Manhunters and sent them flying.

The streak arced through the air and dived toward them like a meteor.

BOOM!

When the dust cleared, Yugi's jaw dropped.

The…whatever it was, was clad in a hastily constructed emerald battle suit. The thing was ridiculous looking to say the least: a round metallic body with a bank of cannons on the shoulders, lower abdomen, and the middle of its chest. It's arms and legs were long and awkward, and it's head was topped with a garish looking sombrero.

"RAWR! The giant Luffy bomber is hereto save the day**!**!" the lantern trainee bellowed defiantly.

* * *

><p>Several minutes earlier…<p>

"All right, how exactly am I supposed to do this?" The boy asked.

"_Well , first things first you have to make a cool entrance, like one hundred percent cooler than anything you've done before!" _

"All right…Cool entrance…cool entrance…how do I do a cool entrance?"

"_Just go into a steep dive and I'll do the rest. We'll start with a little move I thought up called an emerald ring-boom"_ The ring instructed smugly.

* * *

><p>"Please tell me I'm hallucinating!" Yugi moaned into his ring. An emerald screen that showed Sinestro and Kilowog crowding each other to see the debacle dominated his field of vision.<p>

"If you're seeing that brat Luffy going mano-a-mano with the head of the Manhunters, than I'm seeing it too." Sinestro deadpanned.

POW!

A right hook from the construct sent the yellow droid skidding back.

"How did he do that!-? The rings don't work on yellow!" Kilowog sputtered shoving Sinestro aside.

W-WHAM!

The highmaster countered with an elbow to the gut, and slammed his clenched fist into the underside of the giant Luffy bomber's chin.

"Maybe the boy's too stupid to know any better?" Sinestro deadpanned taking advantage of the relative peace he gained after distracting Kilowog by jabbing the larger lantern in the butt with an oversized pin.

P-P-POW!

The emerald cannons on the Bomber's body discharged, knocking the head bot off its feet.

VWOOOM!

A pair of yellow energy rays lanced out of the head manhunter's staff, carving the construct in half.

* * *

><p>"Eject! Eject! Danger! Danger Monkey D. Luffy!" Kung kun bellowed.<p>

"How do I eject?" the boy yelled back.

"HIT THIS!" the ring yelled in six different voices, each conjuring a different arrow that pointed to a big button.

* * *

><p>POW!<p>

The sombrero split down the middle as Luffy was forcibly hurled out of the cockpit.

"Now that that annoyance is dealt with, where were we?" the highmaster scowled as he stomped toward the drained lantern.

CLANG!

"MRPH!-!-?" the head droid sputtered, flailing his arms as he tried to dislodge the emerald cannon that had been shoved over his head.

"EAT IT!" Luffy bellowed he pulled the firing rope.

POW!

Yugi's vision was enveloped in a cloud of green smoke as the cannon was fired at point blank range, right into the Highmaster's head.

When the smoke cleared, the robot had fallen to its knees, half its head blown off.

"No man…*_Brzzt*_...escapes the…_*FZT!*_…manhunters…" the bot sparked feebly as his color faded to a dull gray.

"Everyone! This is our chance! Hammer that *unable to translate!* with everything you got! Vaporize him!" Yugi snarled.

Suddenly, the sky above Oa was lit up as the thousands of lanterns who weren't otherwise occupied rained emerald death down on the incapacitated Highmaster.

When the emerald pyre faded, a mile wide crater had been carved into the central Plaza.

They had won.

* * *

><p>A week later…<p>

"Remember, do it like I taught you…" Yugi said softly as Luffy and hundreds of other lanterns pointed their rings at the newly constructed central power battery,

"_In brightest day, in blackest night, no evil shall escape my sight, let those who worship Evil's might, beware my power…Green lantern's light!"_ the multitude of voice chorused, sending their energy into the central lantern: jumpstarting it.

"Shishishi! That takes a lot out of you!" Luffy chortled.

"No doubt about it. Listen, about what happened…" the former game king winced.

"Forget about it! You're my nakama! And Nakama forgives each other!" the boy chortled.

"Thanks!" Yugi nodded.

"And besides, you can make it up to me by joining my crew when I finally put one together!" Luffy smiled brightly.

"Oi! I never agreed to that!" Yugi sputtered, chasing after his foolish student.

* * *

><p>A few days later…<p>

The guardians were gathered on a raised dais in front of the citadel. Standing before them were Luffy and Yugi, both looking proud.

"In light of your accomplishments during the recent invasion, it has been decided that you, Yugi Mouto, shall be the first in an elite division of Lanterns, henceforth known as the honor guard." Ganthet orated.

"And As for Monkey D. Luffy, You disobeyed a direct order form your superior officer."

Luffy winced.

"Caused wonton destruction that is still being evaluated."

Luffy flinched,

"And saved the lives of an incalculable number of your fellow corpsman. For this, we award you official lantern status!" he finished.

The pure white circle on Luffy's chest shimmered, and in its place was the emerald symbol of the corps.

Roars of appreciation echoed through the sky as Luffy leaped into his Sempai's arms, tears of joy streaming down his face.

* * *

><p>Sometime later…<p>

The newly minted lantern and head of the honor guard neared the wormhole that would Take Luffy home. Just as the boy was about to plunge through it, he turned around and yelled back.

"Hey Sempai! How long is it until I get as good as you?" Luffy asked.

"Let me put it this way, when you nearly drop from exhaustion, your will gives out, and you can't go any further… you're halfway there!" Yugi called back.

"_What did he say?"_ Ring kun asked.

"He said we're halfway there!" the boy whooped as he plunged into the wormhole and made his first step into a bigger world than he ever imagined.

**Next time on Green lantern of the Grand Line.**

**Years have passed since Luffy first donned his ring. And now he's ready to begin his journey to become Pirate King.**

**Luffy: Shishishi! I'm finally old enough to set sail!**

**But his journey takes an unexpected turn.**

**Luffy: Wow! What a big whirlpool!**

**He also encounters his first opponent.**

**? ? ?: Who's the fairest pirate on the seas?"**

**Flunkies: You are!**

**Some unexpected friends.**

**? ? ?: Mine! All mine! **

**? ? ?: H-Hey! G-get your hands off that treasure!"**

**And his first potential Nakama!**

**? ? ?: Oi! Do I look like a pirate to you?-! No wait, on second thought, don't answer that. **

**Next time on green lantern of the Grand Line: Setting out! The Lantern who would be king!**


	3. Chapter 2

**"Merry Christmas, loyal readers, as an early Christmas present, I'd like to present you with this update! Ho! Ho! Ho!" I say.**

**"Nice Santa suit. Got anything for me in that bag?" my muse smirks.**

**"A lump of coal, unless you can convince me otherwise." I deadpan.**

**"How about the fact that I'm pretty much in charge of security around here?" she replies easily.**

**"How about you say the disclaimer, and I might be open to negotiation." I counter. **

**"Sorakage Sama Doesn't own One Piece, DC comics, or anything else that might pop up in this story. Now about that present, most of what I want can be found in this." The meta-magi smiles innocently, holding up the JLU yearly Beefcake…er, swimsuit calendar.**

**"Roll the film already; I need to get the ice water before she gets too hot under the collar!" I roll my eyes.**

**WHOOSH**!

**"EEK!"**

**"Too late! Stop drop and roll, Zatanna! Stop drop and roll!" I yelp, grabbing the fire bucket and rushing off screen.**

Chapter 3: Setting out! The Lantern who would be king!

Eleven years had passed since Luffy had first taken up the mantle of Green lantern of sector 2814.

The boy had grown into a young man. His face had long since shed the baby fat that dimpled his cheeks as he grew taller and leaner.

And now he was finally ready to take his first step to realizing his dream: to take the title of pirate king.

_"A send off like this deserves a super de-duperdy party! You'll need sugar tea, and sugar soda, sugar canes with sundaes, sunrays, and SARSPARILLA!"_ ring-kun cheered

"Are you sure you have enough food to last?" Makino asked softly.

"Shishishi! Don't worry! This'll keep me full for a few days!" the young man chortled patting a sack full of food as tall as him and three times as wide.

_"And Piñatas and Spin the Bottle and Twister…" _

"I'm telling you! The boy's a disgrace! He's an officer of the law! He shouldn't have anything to do with pirates…other than catching them!" the mayor fumed.

"Bleh! Not this again!" Luffy whined, sticking his tongue out.

"Won't you need a bigger boat?" the barkeep asked, eyeing the dinghy distrustfully.

"I wanna start out small, and build up as I go!" the pirate smiled happily.

"_And_ _that's how I saved the entire galaxy from a hoard of evil sparkly space vampires!" _the ring whooped, shooting off several fireworks.

Silence reigned for thirty seconds as the entire crowd gave the powerful jewelry a look that screamed "WTF?"

"And on that topic…" the teenager smiled, leaping into the small raft.

"Good bye no-good mountain bandits! Goodbye Makino-oneesan! Goodbye mayor grumpy!" the green lantern cheered as he sailed away, waving his straw hat wildly.

"Why isn't he using that ring of his to fly to the grand line?" one of the citizens asked as the boy faded into the distance.

"I hope he didn't forget to charge her before he left!" the green haired woman sweat dropped as a giant green mallet materialized out of thin air and absently belted the local sea serpent across the chops.

* * *

><p>Several hours after the serpent received a concussion…<p>

_"Yo, ho, haul together, hoist the colors high! Heave ho, thieves and beggars, never shall we die!"_ Luffy sang to the cloudless blue sky.

He gave his hand a firm shake, "Oi! Ring kun, you wanna join in?"

Silence.

"Aw come on! What's with the silent treatment? I polished your lantern last night, right?" he grinned, peering into the emblem on his finger.

"Heloooooo? Anybody home?" he frowned, knocking his fist against the hull of the boat.

That was the exact moment that realization hit him like a ton of bricks.

"Oh yeah! I forgot to charge her! That's probably why sempai hasn't checked up on me in a while." he nodded, fishing his lantern out from under his seat.

"In brightest day, in blackest night, no evil shall escape my sight! Let those who worship evil's might, beware my power: Green Lantern's light…AUGH!-!" the teen yelped as he was knocked off his feet the moment his small craft hit a whirlpool.

_"Why couldn't I have gone to someone who remembers to charge m-e-e-e-e-e-e!-!-!"_ Ring kun wailed as she was pulled into the depths of the sea alongside her wearer.

* * *

><p>Several sectors away, a certain Air Force pilot sneezed into his beer, splattering the marine next to him, causing a bar fight that got both of them thrown into the stockade…again.<p>

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, back in sector 3172, a short distance from our starting point, a cruise ship was meandering slowly across the water. The rich patrons below decks had no idea the trouble they had just incurred because the captain decided to cut several hours off the route by sailing through pirate territory.<p>

Nor did they know that a ginger haired girl was picking pockets almost faster than the eye could follow. With every new dance partner, the unfortunate persons (male and female alike) found themselves divested of their valuables.

"And so I told my broker: 'Pork Bellies? Are you mad? Do you have any idea how much refitting my ships to refrigerate them will cost?-!" her latest victim sniffed disdainfully, unnoticing of his dance partner's boredom.

"How fascinating…" she deadpanned, her nimble hands sneaking into his pockets to liberate him of his money clip and pocket watch.

The thief did a double take when she looked out the window and spied a ship bearing a distinctive flag (a pair of crossed Humerus, and a sideways skull with a heart printed on the side) coming up to their starboard.

"I gotta go!" she said suddenly, pulling away from him.

"Wait! I didn't even get your name!" the man protested.

"My name…you can call me Ima thief!" the orangete giggled as she vanished into the crowd.

"Ima! Such a beautiful…wait a minute…" the patsy trailed off, feeling around his empty pockets.

"I've been robbed!" the poor man wailed.

* * *

><p>A few minutes earlier, above deck, a pair of lookouts were napping the day away as their fellow crewmen were doing their jobs below. A commotion suddenly sprang up as one of them noticed something small drifting alongside the ship. If either of them had closely examined the object, they would have seen a green periscope poking out of the top, and an emerald rudder and prop jutting out of the back.<p>

"What do you think that is?" one of the stewards drawled.

"I'll tell you what it is: free booze! Haul the thing aboard and we can squirrel it away where that stingy first mate can't take it for himself!" another snickered conspiratorially.

Nodding happily, the first grabbed a pair of grapple lines and hooked the container, pulling it aboard, not knowing the chaos that they invited.

BOOM!

Water splashed on deck as a cannonball struck the water only a few meters from the hull.

"PIRATES OFF THE STARBOARD BOW!-!" the lookout shrieked fearfully.

"Iron Mace" Alvida had arrived.

* * *

><p>The battle had been frighteningly short, no less than a half dozen cannon balls across the broadside of the cruise ship had frightened the passengers and crew alike into submission.<p>

The captain of the pink and white full rigged ship watched as her men dragged the booty on board (among their numbers was a ginger haired girl carrying a heavy sack). Alvida absently swiped one of her fingers along the rail and examined the fine particles with a critical eye.

"What…is _this_?" she snarled, thrusting the dusty digit in her subordinate's face.

"I…I'm sorry Alvida sama! I thought I cleaned the whole deck! I'll do it again!" the luckless man pleaded.

The woman flexed her arm and raised a massive iron war club that was easily just as tall and a quarter as wide as she was.

THWACK!

The pirate collapsed to the deck in a bloody heap, his head caved in with a single blow.

The woman was tall, almost five ten…and ugly as sin. She was literally a perfect sphere, her face was made up of rolls of fat giving her at least a quadruple chin. Her long black hair hung from underneath her cowboy hat in long stringy waves.

She whirled around and pointed her club at the diminutive, baby faced cabin boy, "Who's the loveliest pirate on the seas?" she snarled.

"Y-you are!" the frightened boy whimpered.

POW!

A single kick from her oversized shoe knocked the boy on his back.

"Stupid worm! Make yourself useful and polish my shoes! As for the rest of you, get that treasure below deck! I wanna be out of here before the marines catch wind of us!" the captain spat.

* * *

><p>A short while later, in the lower hold of the Miss love duck….<p>

"Heh! We can really make use of this! It's about time we got some quality booze! All we ever drink these days is water or that second rate shit that captain likes!" one of the Alvida pirates snickered as he rolled a certain barrel into one of the storage rooms.

"Right! I won't tell! The captain doesn't have to know everything! Isn't that right Coby?" the second member of the trio pointed out, fingering his sword and glaring at the shivering teenager.

"Y-yes sir!" he squeaked.

"Just give me a second and we'll be ready to drink!" the third grunted as he righted the barrel and cocked his fist to smash the lid of the cask.

POW!

For the rest of his days, Coby could never truly remember what happened next. There he was, waiting for the pirates to take a drink, when a gangly teenager came out of nowhere and slammed his fist into the jaw of the nearest member of Alvida's crew, laying him out flat.

"AH! What a great nap!" he giggled happily, levering himself out of the barrel he had just popped out of. Coby noted weakly that the teenager looked to be older than him by a good two years or so, and was clad in a simple green vest with a strange crest sewn onto the right breast pocket, and blue canvas shorts. Perched on his head was a ragged straw hat with a red ribbon around the crown.

_"Luffy, please don't forget to charge me again. I really wouldn't like it if you died."_ An unseen voice said almost too softly to be heard.

"Aw, don't worry ring kun!It'll take a lot more than an ocean to kill me!" he smiled brightly.

_"Is he for real?"_ the pink haired boy gawked.

"Who are you guys?" the stranger blinked, finally noticing the others in the room.

** "That's what we should be asking you!"** the pirates thundered angrily.

_Bzzt!_ The ring sparked.

_"Sometimes I wonder if any of the knowledge I gave him penetrated that thick skull…"_ a second unseen voice groaned.

"Whatever, you'd better wake him up! He'll catch a cold sleeping on the floor like that!" the teenager responded glibly.

"Who do you think you are?-!" the first snarled, fingering his sword.

"Son of a *Unable to translate*…" the second hissed.

"Oi, you know where the galley is?" the green glad stow away asked Coby, ignoring the other two.

"DON'T IGNORE US!"

"DIE!"

The cabin boy let out a squeal of terror, covering his face and putting his head between his legs,

"Goodbye cruel world!" Coby whimpered as he waited for the end.

_SHING!_

_CRACK!_

_THUMP!_

But the end never came. Coby peeked between his clasped fingers and saw the two remaining pirates on the ground, out like a light. And the stranger was simply standing there, wisps of green energy dissipating from around his hands.

"Now how about you show me to the galley?" the future pirate king smiled happily.

* * *

><p>Nami let out a happy coo as she piled all the treasure from the lower hold into a large sack.<p>

_"This might not be much, but it's one step closer toward getting me what's _mine_!_" the ginger haired thief smiled cattily.

She suddenly stiffened as she heard voices approaching at a rapid clip.

_"Are you insane! This is a pirate ship! Are you trying to get yourself killed? Do you have any idea who captains this boat?-!" _someone sputtered.

_"I dunno, and I don't care. All I want is a good meal."_ A second chimed in.

_"Really, darling, if you just remembered to charge me for once, then you could have saved that haversack of food instead of having to stow away in that gauche cask!"_ a third piped up.

Blanching, Nami threw herself behind a stack of water barrels.

"I don't understand any of this! Talking rings, people who pop out of barrels! This doesn't make any sense! The moment Alvida finds you, she'll beat you to death with that club of hers!" the cabin boy whimpered, watching as Luffy plunked himself down in front of an open crate of apples.

"Are there any dinghies on this boat?" the black haired teen asked.

"Yes, a few, why?"

"I need one. Sure, I could fly to the next island…but I don't want to take the easy way out! Shishishi!" the hungry pirate chortled.

Nami watched from the shadows as the two continued to talk.

"Are you…a pirate?" Coby asked.

"Kind of sort of. I'm gonna be a pirate, but I have other responsibilities too!" he smiled, gesturing to the ring on his finger.

The orangette nearly choked on her own tongue the moment she saw the symbol adorning that particular piece of jewelry.

"How did you end up here anyway? You don't seem like the adventure type. More like the…cowardly-yellow-belly-always running-away-because-he's-scared-stiff-type!" Luffy pointed out bluntly as he stuck his finger up his nose.

WHAP!

An emerald hand suddenly grew out of his ring and smacked him upside the head.

_"I'm all fo' honesty, but ya'll need to learn a thing 'bout tact!"_ ring kun snapped.

"Thanks! That booger's been giving me all sorts of trouble!" the lantern giggled, wiping the snot off on the hem of his vest.

Coby chose to ignore the slapstick act, "By accident. I wanted to go on a fishing trip, but I got on the wrong boat. It's been two years since drafted into this crew. Two years since my dream went up in smoke." The cabin boy grimaced.

"Wow. You're not only cowardly, but kind of stupid too!"

Five different hands suddenly materialized out of Luffy's ring and smacked him upside the head, each saying the same word: "TACT!" The sixth apologized afterward.

"You're right. I'm not brave. If I were, I'd walk away and tell Alvida to…well, I don't want to actually say it out loud! And then I'd accomplish my dream! I'd join the marines!" he proclaimed grandly.

"A marine huh? Then we'd be sworn enemies!"

"Huh? Why?"

"Because I'm going to be king of the pirates some day! Shishishi!"

Nami was so shocked by this proclamation that she nearly facefaulted out of her hiding place.

"Are you retarded or something?-! You want to climb to the top of the pirate world!-? To do that's you'd have to beat the greatest, most powerful pirates in the world, the ones that even make the Navy nervous! You'd have to fight through the treacherous waters of the Grand Line! You're going to claim the One Piece for yourself!-? That's impossible! Impossible! Impossible! Impossible! Impossible!" Coby babbled, flailing his arms.

POW!

A green fist suddenly exploded out of the Lantern's ring, clocking the younger boy upside the head.

"Why did you do that?" the other teen whined, clutching the egg sized lump.

"Because your screaming was going to tell the pirates we're here. And as for me being pirate king, I promised four old friends of mine that I'd be the one to beat them to the crown. You can't just get the title, you have to fight for it." Luffy said matter of factly.

"Is it really that easy?" Coby asked.

"Like my Sempai says: 'Nothing worth doing is worth doing half assed! If you want something, you have to fight for it with your entire hearts and soul! Don't let anything stop you! Not even ancient multi millennium old tomb robbers with soul stealing magic rings!' Although I never understood that last part." Luffy nodded as he climbed a ladder toward the upper deck.

"You're right." Coby hissed, his shoulder shaking.

Nami's eyes widened as she watched the meek and cowardly boy's personality turn a complete one eighty.

"I'll leave this damn ship! I'll join the marines, and someday, I'll get strong enough to catch Alvida! I'll pay her back for every humiliation! Nothing will stop me from accomplishing my dream!" the former cabin boy roared at the top of his lungs.

CRA-A-A-A-ASH!

Suddenly, the ceiling above their heads collapsed, showering them with chunks of wood. A familiar silhouette could be seen through the dust cloud kicked up by the impact.

"So you're going to catch me Coby? You're going to leave my crew and join the marines?" The rotund woman sneered.

"A-A-Alvida Sama?-!" the pink haired youth squeaked.

"Tell me who's the loveliest pirate on the seas and I might consider letting you live…" the captain spat.

"Coby, who's the fat old hag?" Luffy asked innocently.

Even ring kun was so shocked by the outright insult that she forgot to chastise him.

"YOU...I...WE...RAZZA FRAZZIN...GAH! DIE PAINFULLY!" the captain sputtered and shrieked, swinging her club at the lantern's head.

A green flash lit up the hold as Luffy's vest and shorts turned into a bodysuit with a green torso and black legs. The miniscule symbol on his pectoral expanded and migrated to the center of his chest.

An emerald clamp wrapped around Coby's midsection. The younger teen felt a curious feeling of vertigo as he was yanked off his feet and through the hole in the ceiling.

"The CEO is not going to be happy about this…" Nami muttered under her breath.

* * *

><p>The members of Alvida's crew who had been watching the fracas were blinded when the hold was enveloped in a bright jade blaze.<p>

When the light show died down, Luffy was nowhere to be seen,

"Oi! I'm up he-e-re!" the lantern sing songed.

When the luckless pirates finally spotted the hovering teen, they wished they hadn't. Their green glowing opponent was hovering in midair, holding a semi transparent bright green axe that was at least twice as tall as he was.

Suddenly, he dove at the frightened pirates like an emerald comet.

WHABOOM!

Pirates and chunks of wood alike flew through the air as the bludgeon carved a hole in the deck almost as wide as Alvida.

"RUN AWAY!" one of the pirates yelped as he and his crewmates ran from the madly grinning pirate.

"Come back! I just wanna play with you a little!" Luffy giggled, swinging his weapon. But the pirates just managed to stay out of swiping range.

_"How long are going to chase them, mi amour? Sooner or later they'll realize they outnumber you twelve to one." _Ring kun piped up.

Suddenly the chase halted.

"You know, sometimes your timing really sucks." Luffy deadpanned.

**"Get him!"** the lead pirate bellowed, leading the charge.

Luffy let out a squeak of alarm as he beat feet in the opposite direction.

_ "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"_ the ring babbled as its personality switched.

Suddenly, the chase halted a second time when Luffy's ring discharged a blob of green energy, which rapidly formed into a trio of fully working cannons.

B-B-BA-BOOM!

Alvida's subordinates did a credible imitation of bowling pins as the cannonballs struck the deck beneath their feet with punishing ballistic force, sending them sailing over the sides of the ship.

CRASH!

Alvida burst through the deck like the world's largest mole, shouting a thundering battle cry: "STOP BLOWING HOLES IN MY SHIP!"

The rotund woman leaped into the air and swung her war club at Luffy's head.

POW!

But the Lantern's emerald bat countered her swing when it smacked her in the jaw, lifting the woman into the air and sending her past the horizon.

_"And…she's going…going…going…AND SHE'S OUT OF HERE!"_ Ring kun cheered wildly, shooting off fire crackers.

"That's all well and good, but… GET ME DOWN!" the soon to be marine yowled from his perch on the mast (where Luffy had thrown him minutes earlier).

And of course, the Lantern obliged him; an emerald hand plucked the frightened teen off the brace, depositing him back on solid ground.

"Now come on! We need to get out of here before the marines arrive!" the dark haired pirate smirked, grabbing his traveling companion by the hand and running for the dinghies.

BOOM!

POW!

BANG!

Coincidentally, it was at that exact moment, a Navy cutter pulled into firing range.

"Why do I have to leave?" Coby bleated, still slight off kilter from the events of the past several minutes.

"Do you think they'll really let you join if they find you aboard a pirate ship?" Luffy snorted.

"G-Good point." The pink haired youth said weakly as he helped the lantern untie the nearest boat.

* * *

><p>Nami whistled jauntily as she lowered the life boat she had made off with only moments before. She had easily sneaked past the brawling pirates and the lantern, lowered one of the dinghies, and was about to set sail.<p>

SPLASH!

Suddenly, a second boat dropped from on high, smacking into the water with a tremendous splash.

Nami's eyes met the Green lantern's. For ten seconds, the two just sat there, staring, unable to move.

"If you two aren't too busy making kissy faces at each other, **how about we get out of here?-!"** Coby snapped.

Shaking his head, Luffy unfurled the sails and cast off. Some part of him knew that he'd be seeing that girl again.

* * *

><p>"Finally! LAND HOOOOO!" the future pirate captain bellowed several days later from his perch on top of the mast happily as Shell Town, the home of marine Base 153 came into view over the horizon.<p>

"Thank the lord! Maybe now, you can help me bail this out before we drown!" the pink haired teen whimpered as he frantically flung bucket after bucket of water out of the rapidly sinking vessel.

"A pirate king's gotta make an entrance! " the straw hat clad boy giggled as the dinghy sank lower and lower into the water, until the entire lower half was submerged.

The raft bumped into the dock just as the prow sank out of sight. Everyone stared as Luffy simultaneously scooped up his reluctant traveling companion out of the water and hopped onto dry land.

"Now that we've finally reached land, it's time to do the most important thing of all!" the black haired young man smiled eagerly.

"Find another ship?" Coby blinked.

"Nope!"

"Recruit some people into your crew?"

"Nope!"

"Resupply?"

"Nope!"

"Then what?"

* * *

><p>Several minutes later…<p>

"I should have known…" Coby winced as he watched his friend shovel half his bodyweight worth of food into his rapidly expanding stomach.

"Ah! That was a good meal! Now, down to business: you said there was a real badass swordsman being held here? The best blade user in the East Blue? What was his name? Roabaka Zolo?" the captain blinked.

_"I think his name was Roronoa Zoro."_ Ring kun corrected.

"Your ring's right! Zoro's a devil in human form! The rumors say that he one killed an entire crew of over two hundred pirates all on his own! Every last one was slaughtered! He never leaves any survivors." Coby shivered.

"But…if every last one died, then who told the stories? Either way, this Zoro sounds like a great person to recruit!" Luffy said happily.

CRASH!

BANG!

TINLKLE…TINKLE…

The moment the name 'Zoro' had been uttered loudly enough for everyone to hear, the bar's patrons threw themselves across the room, under tables, basically anywhere they could take cover.

_"Maybe y'all should get out of here before we kick up anymore of a fuss?"_ Ring kun asked weakly.

"Probably a good idea." Coby sweatdropped as he dragged his giggling friend out the door.

* * *

><p>"Man! The floor show in that place was great! I gotta go there again someday!" the soon to be captain whooped.<p>

"Somehow… I don't think that was their idea of entertainment…" Coby said weakly.

"Oh look! There's the base!" the dark haired lantern pointed to a gigantic mountain shaped building, painted white with green stripes.

_"That…is the worst insult to fabulosity that I have ever seen! Who did the exterior design? A blind monkey?"_ Rink kun sneered.

_Bzzt!_ The device sparked.

_"Seriously? 'Insult to Fabulosity?' Who do you think you are? Maxamillion Pegasus?" _a second personality snickered.

Coby was so focused on the bickering ring that he didn't notice that its wearer was hovering in mid-air until he was peering over the fence surrounding the marine stronghold.

"Would you get down from there?-! What if someone sees you? Geeze! To think that the only thing I used to have to worry about was a club to the head…" the faint hearted boy hissed.

"Oh look! Someone's over there!" the excitable pirate smiled, zipping off into the distance.

"Oh for the love of…Luffy! Wait for me!" the soon to be Marine raced after him.

* * *

><p>Several hectic minutes later, Luffy finally flew over the northernmost part of the compound and plunked down in front of a prisoner. The man in question was (for lack of a better term) one <em>mean<em> looking son of a female dog. He was tall and lean with short, close cropped green hair. And yes. It was his natural color. Anyone who indicated otherwise often found themselves on the receiving end of three very sharp katana. His arms were tied to a rough wooden cross in the exact center of the parade ground.

"What do you want?" the emerald haired swordsman asked.

"For you to join my pirate crew!" Luffy grinned happily.

Silence reined for thirty long seconds as the swordsman gauged the teen in front of him.

"You have **got** to be shitting me. You expect me to drop everything I'm doing and join your cockamamie troupe?" Zoro deadpanned.

"Not a troupe, a pirate crew! And I don't know if I want you to join or not. You got a pretty bad reputation." Luffy cocked his head.

"Like I care about people's opinion. If I did, I wouldn't be a bounty hunter. I have my own goal. Anyone who gets in my way on my path to become the world's greatest swordman'll get chopped into confetti."

_"Yeah! I love confetti! It's the best thing to load into a party cannon!"_ the ring giggled.

"What the hell was…" Zoro blinked, only to stiffen as the gates to their left creaked open.

Seconds later, a small girl slipped through the gap, bearing a cloth containing a pair of rice balls.

"What are you doing here?" Zoro asked, idly noticing that at some point in the time he looked away that Luffy had disappeared.

"I figured you must be hungry… so I brought you something to eat!" she smiled happily, holding up the meager offering.

"Idiot! Get out of here before someone catches you. If you wanna get killed that badly, I'd me more than willing to make it quicker than the Marines." Zoro sneered nastily.

Unfortunately, it was at that exact moment that the partly open gated attracted the wrong kind of attention. Namely at the idiot son of the Base's commanding officer and his personal guard.

"Oh how the mighty have fallen! The great Zoro, reduced to picking on children. I wonder what my father would have to say about this?" The blonde fop in a loud purple suit sneered.

"Shut up, bastard!" the swordsman growled.

"Don't get cocky! My papa is a marine Lieutenant, so show me the respect I deserve!" he sneered, not noticing that his guards were rolling their eyes.

He then turned his attention to the young girl with the rice balls.

"Oh! Are these for me? Thank you!" Helmeppo grinned, snatching one of the treats and bolting it down in one bite.

"HURK!" Lieutenant Morgan's son squeaked, his face turning red. He let out a strangled gurgle and spat out the confection.

"It's like someone poured lava in my mouth! What did you put **in **that monstrosity?-!" the blond panted.

"I thought it would taste better with some spice, so I added a bit of Wasabi, some chili powder, a handful of curry, and a few of those bright orange peppers my mom bought from the market."

How could anyone eat trash like this?-!" he shrieked, snatching the remaining food from her and stomping it into the dirt.

Rika watched in horror as the brat destroyed her hard work. She let out a horrified whimper, shocked tears pouring down her face.

"Ugh! This is why I hate brats like her. You brought it on yourself. My father left strict instructions next to the prisoner: 'Anyone who helps this man will be charged with the same crime'. If you were a little older, he would have killed you on general principle!" he sniffed before turning to his guard.

"Throw her over the wall!" the blonde ordered.

"What?-! But sir…" the private protested.

"Do I have to tell my father about this?" the lieutenant's son hissed menacingly, looming over the hapless soldier.

"Y-yes sir! Sorry, kid…" the solder gulped, scooping Rika into his arms and lobbing her over the wall. None of them noticed the green catcher's mitt that materialized out of thin air and caught the child.

"Remember Zoro! Survive for one month and I'll let you go!" the windbag giggled, strolling away.

* * *

><p>The two stood there for thirty long seconds as Luffy watched Zoro's cold expression and Coby rub soothing circles into the sobbing younger girl's back.<p>

Surprisingly, Ring-kun was the one to snap.

_"That…big…dumb…**MEANIE!" **_shesnarled, surging forward and dragging Luffy along for the ride.

"I gotta get this thing fiiiiiixed!" the captain yelped as he disappeared over the horizon.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, back on Oa…<p>

Yugi was thumbing through his deck when one of his cards fell to the floor.

"Huh? 'Berserker Soul'? I don't remember putting that card in my deck." The king of games shrugged.

* * *

><p>Several minutes later….<p>

"All of the peasants in this backwater burg bow down before me! Unless you want to end up like Zoro (who I will see executed in three days), prostrate yourselves before me! Do all of you understand? I wanna see some prostrattution!" Morgan's son barked as he strolled down the central street.

His guard whispered in his ear.

"I mean prostration!" the blonde hastily corrected himself.

"HEEEEELLLLMMMM!-!" A voice seemed to say on the wind.

"I mean, what kind of idiot would believe that I would be willing to let him go for surviving without food for a month! The moron dared to harm my beloved pet wolf, Poopsie!" the blonde scowled, puffing his cheeks in what he thought was a menacing manner (really, it just made him look stupid).

"EEEPPPPPPPOOOOO!-!-!" someone shrieked.

"The fool of a swordsman deserves what he gets! I'll enjoy watching his head roll…._HOGEE_!-! AGH! EEK! OW! ACK!" Helmeppo's speech was interrupted when Ring-kun (who was still attached to Luffy) came flying at him like a very small comet, slamming into his face and sending the Lieutenant's son bouncing back down the street for a good quarter mile.

_"How **dare **you hurt an innocent child!-? I have half a mind to throw YOU over a high fence and see how you like it!"_ the emerald ring snarled angrily.

"Damn it, Pon3-2! Knock it off!" the future pirate king sputtered.

"How dare **you! **I'm lieutenant Morgan's beloved son! I'll see you bastards get the death sentence for this!-!-! I'm telling my daddy about this!" the blonde fop wailed as his guards hauled him to his feet and dragged him away.

"Luffy! What…happened…" Coby panted, having sprinted from the base to the center of town.

"In the words of my sempai, things just got more complicated. You go tell Zoro to get ready for a jail break. That Idiot doesn't have any intention of keeping his word. In the mean time, I have some swords to find!" the pirate smiled mischievously.

* * *

><p>And a short while later, Monkey D. Luffy marched toward the Marine Base…not listening to the protests of his ring.<p>

_"Halt! Stop! Whoa! Ya can't just barge in there! You're an ordinary human! Ya'll know you're not made of iron, right?-!" Ring kun sputtered._

"Don't care. I got asses to kick." The captain replied.

_"I've got a better idea! Give me five seconds to tell you about a function of the ring that your sempai kept to himself. He said he'd melt me down if I ever told you about this…."_

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, on the roof of the base….<p>

Axe Hand Morgan was overseeing the placement of the latest testament to his greatness (a lifelike statue the size of a small building). He was a massive bear of a man, topping out at over six feet, almost every bit of him was solid muscle. The main distinguishing features were his metal jaw (which had to be implanted years earlier after his original one had been shattered beyond repair after a monstrously difficult fight), and the giant battle axe that had replaced his left hand from the wrist down.

"It's in position! All of you pull that statue into place, and if one chip gets knocked free, I'll have the whole lot of you thrown in the stockade until the crack of doom!" the base's CO frowned menacingly from his seated position.

And every last one of them knew that their commanding officer meant every word of it.

"Daddy! Why aren't you hunting down the bastard that hit me?-! You've never let anyone lay a hand on me before!" Morgan's son whined.

Helmeppo's guards inched away from their charge, knowing that things were about to get violent.

"You want to know **why** I've never bothered to strike you? Or delegate the responsibility to anyone else?" the one handed man deadpanned.

"Oh, I already know that! It's because I'm your beloved baby boy!" the blonde preened.

POW!

A backhand across the face sent Helmeppo ass over tea kettle for the second time that day.

"It's because you're a disappointment. You are nothing more than spoiled child, incapable of looking after himself. I washed my hands of you a long time ago. You seem to think that you are actually important. **I **am the great one! **I **am the law on this island! Not you…**ME! **Furthermore**…"** Morgan sneered.

The lieutenant's triad was cut short when one of his men ran up to him and began whispering in his ear.

"What do you mean a vice admiral is here for a surprise inspection?-!" the axe handed man gaped.

"Like I said sir. And he's raiding the Galley at this very moment.…" the ensign winced.

* * *

><p>"Vice Admiral Monkey D. Garp! This is such a surprise! We weren't expecting any kind of inspection for at least another six months!" Morgan saluted.<p>

"Meh! The East Blue is my old stomping ground! Why wouldn't I come here? I'm **Garp** **the** **Hero** after all!" the elderly man proclaimed, striking a pose right out of an episode of a super sentai series, complete with explosions and pyrotechnics.

"…." Was their reaction

"Now, I heard a rumor that there's a high profile prisoner being held on this base! I wanna meet him!" the vice admiral ordered.

"S-sir! This is highly irregular! Zoro is one of the most infamous bounty hunters on this section of the sea! There's no need to endanger yourself by associating with…" the ensign protested.

POW!

Garp's fist slammed into the top of the unfortunate man's head hard enough to leave a melon sized lump.

"Bastard! I'm **Garp the Fist**! As if a puny little fledgling swordsman could hurt me!" The old man roared angrily, only for his head to loll to the side as he fell asleep in mid rant.

"I'm starting to think that the rumors of his eccentricity weren't exaggerated…" the lieutenant deadpanned.

Garp's head snapped up sniffed the air and grabbed a bag of chips.

"BWA-HA-HA-HA! These rice crackers are delicious!-! I gotta bring a few of these to Supreme Admiral Sudoku! Then maybe he'll stop eating mine!" Monkey D. Garp cackled as he poured the bag of snack food down his throat.

"Definitely…not exaggerated…" his ensign uttered.

* * *

><p>Several minutes later…<p>

Helmeppo watched in utter terror as Garp paced back and forth in front of the bound Swordsman.

"This is the infamous Robarara Zolo? Shishishi! I could take this young punk out with one pinky!" the muscular man whooped, using the digit in question to dig for gold in his nose.

"The name is 'Roronoa Zoro'. Try saying that when my arms aren't tied and I have my swords you geriatric moron…." The emerald haired man snarled.

"EH? What was that? I thought I just heard a young tadpole who thinks he can talk down to the big fish!" the larger man grinned darkly.

"Like I said. It's one thing to talk down to someone who's got their arms ties to their sides, it's another to face someone when their fully armed, 'sir'." The santoryu user growled.

"Bring him his weapons." Garp grunted.

"Sir? Do you know how many of us it took just to subdue him the first time?-!" the ensign squeaked.

"Let me put it this way: Either you get his swords, or I just found some new sparring partners!" the old man frowned.

Every last marine (Morgan and Helmeppo included) scrambled to obey the Vice Admiral's orders.

* * *

><p>Several minters later, the Ensign returned, bearing three distinct swords. Two of them were two generic katana with black sheaths and identical plain hilts. The third was what caught the vice admiral's eye. It had a white sheath and hilt with a diamond pattern woven into the chord.<p>

Just as a pair of privates were about to untie the pirate hunter, Lieutenant Morgan halted them with a gesture of his flesh and blood hand as the rest of the marines gathered behind him trained their guns on the pair.

"I'll admit that your act had me fooled for the first few minutes. But you made two critical mistakes. First, you got the vice admiral's laugh wrong. Second, every marine worth his salts knows that the supreme Admiral's name is Sengoku, not Sudoku. For this act of defiance…I sentence you both to death! FIRE!" the lieutenant barked.

P-P-P-POW! The two dozen odd rifles barked.

Zoro watched in fascination as 'Garp' suddenly melted into the black haired boy from earlier. The green ring on his hand discharged a rock solid block of green energy that stopped the bullets cold.

"I'm not an interloper, the Name's monkey D. Luffy, future pirate king and green lantern of sector 3172. Get ready for an ass kicking!" the lantern smirked.

The nearest marine didn't know what hit him. One second earlier, this so called 'green lantern' was standing ten feet from him, then the next thing he knew, the teen had a green sledge hammer in his hand that he used to send a half dozen soldiers flying. Then the luckless grunt was on the ground, writhing in pain as a green elbow to the solar plexus followed by a backhand to the upper lip dropped him like he had been shot in the head with an elephant gun (felt like it too).

One very lucky marine dove in from the side and managed to grab Luffy by the shoulder, and then fell to the ground out cold seconds later after miniature green ship's anchor cracked him over the head.

The next three that tried went down like a ton of bricks after the heel of their opponent's emerald reinforced left hand hit the right-shoulder of this group's leader. He spun like a top, taking one of his companions down with his flailing arms. The other was far less lucky than his fellows: Luffy swung his right knee into a very specific portion of his opponent's anatomy, shattering the pubic arch with an audible crack that could be heard 'round the battlefield. The luckless private cupped his injury and toppled over backwards, not even maintaining the semblance of mind to break his fall.

While Luffy was dealing with the cannon fodder like the fist of an angry kami, Coby had snuck through the partially open gates and began untying Zoro.

"What the hell is he?" the green haired young man goggled.

"I dunno. We just sort of ran into each other. As far as I can tell, he's an ordinary human except for that ring on his hand. We just sort of…_damn this knot is tight! Who tied it, a boy scout… _found ourselves on the same side." the pink haired teen grunted.

"A better question is why the hell are you helping me?-! These people will kill you if they catch you."

"I don't know. I want to join the marines. But I can abide an abuse of authority. I wanna be a real marine, just like Luffy wants to be pirate king."

POW!

A stray shot nailed the pink haired boy through the shoulder, dropping him to the ground squealing like a wounded rabbit.

"Get out of here! You won't do anyone any good wounded!" Zoro snapped.

"Ugn…can't! Promised Luffy…I'd save you! Helmeppo never intended to keep his promise! He planned to have you executed in three days! I'd rather see you tear the marines apart than join with something that beats both innocent and guilty people down!" the would be marine huffed as he stumbled to his feet, his right arm hanging limply at his side.

"**ENOUGH!-!"** Axe Hand Morgan howled at the top of his lungs. The entire tableau froze. Luffy paused in mid swing as he prepared to bludgeon some of the few marines with the body of their unconscious comrade.

"That is quite enough! I won't have any more disrespect to my authority! I am marine lieutenant Axe-hand Morgan! I am the great one, not you, and I'll prove it right now!" the weaponized man screamed, swinging his weapon so fast that it would have decapitated the lantern in one blow…if he had been standing still.

"Where'd he go?-!" Helmeppo sputtered, looking around.

A green blur suddenly shot out form the cloud line and grabbed the lieutenant by the ankles, hoisting him into the air.

"You' can't do this to me! I'm Marine Lieutenant Axe Hand Morgan! You're nothing but a peasant! I am the one with status here! NOT YOU!" he screamed, swiping at the lantern with his Axe.

"I don't care who you are. I'm gonna be king of the pirates, and that's better than any lieutenant'll ever be!" the lantern roared, lobbing Morgan into the air.

W-W-W-W-WHAM!

The captain's fists blurred as he pummeled the lieutenant, his green coated fists slamming into every in of flesh he could reach.

As soon as the two combatants reached the hundred foot mark, Luffy blurred behind Morgan and lashed out with a snap kick to the back of the head, sending the dazed lieutenant plummeting to the ground.

_"Be careful! You're down to about ten percent charge! If you keep going at this rate, I'll run dry in under a minute!" _the ring warned.

"That's all I need! I got one thing to say to someone who would step on a person's dream: EAT GREEN!" the pirate smirked as an emerald aura surrounded him, and he plummeted at Morgan like a human sized bullet.

"STOOOOP!" Helmeppo screamed. He had his arm around Coby's neck in a choke hold, the other had a pistol pointed at the boy's temple.

"If you move one more inch toward my Daddy, I'll put a bullet in his head!" the blonde babbled.

"Do it Luffy! Smash that bastard into the ground! I'm not afraid to die!" the pink haired boy gritted his teeth.

The black haired teen dispelled the human sized cannonball construct from around himself and landed without a word.

The entire tableau stopped when a shadow suddenly appeared, and loomed over Luffy.

"How dare you disrespect me?-! I am the great marine lieutenant! DIE, YOU MAGGOT!" the axe handed man howled, swinging his signature weapon at the pirate's neck.

Suddenly, a green haired blur leaped over the pirate's head just as the captain fired a green fist from his ring, using the last of his charge.

Both Morgan and Helmeppo collapsed to the ground at roughly the same time. One from a concussion, the other from slash wounds to the chest.

"So 'captain', if battles like this are how you normally recruit people, you can count me in!" the green haired first mate smirked.

* * *

><p>Several hours later…<p>

"URP! That…was one HELL of a meal! Nine days without food can really do wonder for a guy's appetite!" Zoro belched.

"Got that right! I wouldn't have lasted nine hours let alone nine days!" Luffy giggled as he shoveled his twenty fifth plate of food down his gullet.

"Sorry about these two eating all the food…" Coby apologized to the woman running the bar, who was coincidentally Rika's mother.

"It's not a problem. After everything you did for us, a meal is the least we could do!" the older woman smiled.

"Onii-san, what are you going to do next?" the little girl asked.

"That's an easy one. I'm going to recruit a few more people, and then I'm going to hit the Grand Line!" the newly minted pirate smirked.

Coby stared at his friend uncomprehendingly for ten seconds before doing a spit take.

"What?-! The Grand line is the home of the strongest pirate crews in the world! They'd eat you alive!" the ink haired boy gawked.

_"That's a common mistake. According to my research, the strongest pirates actually congregate in the second half of the line, dubbed the new world." _Ring-kun interjected.

"Quiet! You're not helping!" the boy snapped.

_"Well excuse me, Mr. can't get his facts straight! Who else here has an all purpose access to the biggest intergalactic database in the universe? Raise your hands! Anyone? I thought so!" _thering replied smugly.

"I can't believe I just got into an argument with a piece of jewelry….and lost." Coby groaned.

"You get used to it!" Luffy giggled.

Their conversation was interrupted when the door to the Bar opened. The atmosphere soured when the impeccably dressed (and recently promoted) commander Ripper marched in.

"Is it true that you're pirates?" He asked without further preamble.

Luffy chuckled under his breath, "Yep. I just recruited my first crew member. So that officially makes this a pirate crew!"

"Then…I'm afraid I must ask you to leave. We are grateful for what you've done, but you cannot be allowed to stay any longer." The commander said shortly.

Naturally, the crowd outside began to protest. The grumbles of dismay soon became audible.

_"Damn them! What kind of bullshit are they pulling?"_

_"Are you kidding me? You're throwing them out on their ear after everything they did?"_

_"Those two are the town's saviors!"_

"Meh. I expected something like this ta happen. Thanks for the meal kaa-san!" luffy shrugged, lurching to his feet.

Coby stood frozen in place, not quite comprehending what happened.

"Excuse me, are you with them?" Ripper asked.

"Um…no!" the boy blanched.

"Is this true?" the CO turned to Luffy.

No one except Zoro noticed the captain's mischievous smirk.

"Oh him? Nope. He's not with us." Luffy replied.

Coby relaxed.

"That's not to say we weren't traveling together. He used to work under this fat female pirate! I think her name was Alvida!" the straw hat wearing captain gestured, indicating a very wide body.

_"No! Don't say anymore!"_ the aspiring marine groaned.

"And when I said he worked under her, I meant he worked **under **her! He was shining her shoes, complimenting her, getting all kinds of abuse for two years. Long story short, his position on the crew was pretty much her personal bit…" the captain laughed.

"SHUT UP!" the younger boy roared, slamming his fist into the his friend's face.

"You wanna pick a fight with ME? Then you got one!" the lantern grinned evilly.

Everyone stood there in shock for twenty seconds as the captain suddenly fought back, slamming his balled up fists into his friends face again and again, driving him to the point of unconsciousness.

"Enough!" Zoro grunted, grabbing his captain by the shoulder and dragging his out of the room, Muttering all the while about pinheaded captains with too much power, too many morals, and too little brains.

* * *

><p>Shortly after they left…<p>

"You said that it was your dream to join the marines, hm?" Ripper asked, eyeing the prone form of Coby

"Y-yesh shir!" the boy slurred weakly.

"Despite your past, I think you could go far. If you pass the standard background check, I think we could consider recruiting you."

"YES SIR! Thank you, sir!" Coby barked, saluting the CO.

* * *

><p>"You didn't have to help him out you know. You might have just created your own worst enemy." Zoro opined as he hopped into a dinghy.<p>

"Meh. He kind of reminded me of myself when I first got this…" Luffy replied, waggling his ring in the direction of his first mate.

Just as the two of them shoved off, they heard someone running along the dock behind them.

"Luffy-san! Thank you very much! I won't forget this!" Coby saluted.

"No problem! I expect great things from you! Get stronger and we'll meet again someday!" the captain waved.

Moments later, the pink haired recruit's salute was joined by the majority of the garrison and accompanied by the cheers of the lion's share of the town's people.

"What a send off! Grand Line here I come!" Luffy whooped, leaping in the air and clicking his heels.

Meanwhile, back on Oa, Yugi felt a chill run down his spine.

"Call me crazy, but I have a feeling that something just happened that'll give me a big headache in the near future…" the honor guard groaned.

**Next time, on Green Lantern of the Grand Line…**

**Shortly after recruiting a first mate as a member of his crew, the Straw Hat Luffy and company encounter a clown with a diabolical plan.**

**Joker: That's my cue! And I have one question: _anyone wanna know how I got these scars?_**

**Oh hell no! Not you! Not even I'm crazy enough to include the clown prince of crime in this fic! I meant another clown, one that's a little less psychotic, has fewer scars, and wears a big red nose!**

**? ? ?: Who has a big red nose that looks like an apple?**

**_How can someone with such good hearing be so, bloody, deaf?-! *AHEM!* _As I was saying, our hero also encounters a familiar face**

**? ? ?: For a circus performer, this guy is pretty rich. Who'd have thought it? OH! Lookie what we have here! This is more valuable than any treasure!**

**But little do any of them know that a tricky new player is manipulating everyone like chess pieces.**

**? ? ?: Life is one big game: and I'm the one holding all the cards! _Wanna pick one?_**

**Next time on Green lantern of the Grand Line: Big Top Chaos in the day! Thieves in the night!**

**_Author's note: I'd like to make an announcement. I'm holding a bit of a contest. I need a duel (of the duel monsters variety) for a future chapter. I won't need it for some time, and unfortunately, I have no talent in writing this particular type of fight scene. Anyone who's interested; send me a PM, to which I will reply with the specifics (the participants and the setting) so as to adhere to the minimum number of spoilers. The best entry will be used in this story, with the credit going to the winner. _**


	4. Chapter 3

"**Sorry for the long wait folks. Real life (and a very bad job market) has kept me busy. Plus I accidentally instigated a Holy Grail war…" I sigh, glancing at my personal warrior, the sole member of the writer class.**

"**You might wanna consider ducking in the next five seconds." My servant uttered.**

"_**Noble Phantasm: Keys to the Exhibit!" **_

**BOOM!**

**CRASH!**

**The ceiling of my supposedly unbreakable bunker collapsed under the assault of a WWII era tank.**

"**Under the order of my Mistress, SwordMasterZ: Prepare to pay for your trespasses!" the bomber jacket clad member of the Curator class cackled.**

"**Um. I'll have to get back to you all. I don't own any of this! I'm just borrowing it! So don't sue!" I gulp.**

Chapter 3: Big Top Chaos in the day! Thieves in the night!

One week after the incident at shell town…

"Hey, Captain…" Zoro asked.

"Yeah?" Luffy responded.

"I'm getting kind of hungry."

"Me too. Do you have any food?"

"If I had any food, I'd be **eating **it, genius! Why don't you use that fancy magic ring to conjure up something to chew on?" the first mate retorted.

"For one thing, it's not magic, it's science… I think. And the constructs I make aren't real. The closest thing I can compare them too are hard light holograms. There's no nutritional value, they're light made solid." The lantern retorted.

"Hard Light? Light isn't hard…" the green haired teen blinked.

"That the way my sempai explained it. I didn't understand it either."

"_I swear, stuffing knowledge into your head is like holding water in a sponge: it flows right back out!"_ Ring kun groaned.

"We really need to get out hands on an able bodied crew. We can't keep wandering like this…" Zoro moaned, lying flat on the deck and looking at the sky.

"Yeah. We'll need a cook, a musician, an archeologist…"

"You're forgetting something: how about a navigator and a doctor. We won't last long without someone to keep up going, and who knows how to get where we need to go. And I gotta ask: why do we need a musician?"

"Pirates sing and dance, don't they?"

A beat.

Suddenly, a large shadow blocked their view of the sky.

"Oh look! A bird! Dinner is served!" the young lantern grinned, flying into the air.

Zoro watched in fascination as his captain hovered into front of the beast.

Suddenly, the swordsman heard the distinct female tone of the ring coming from the emerald lantern stowed under the bench near his head.

"_Remaining charge at one percent. Shutting down to conserve remaining power…"_

This was followed by the black haired boy's yowl of terror as his glow winked out and the bird snatched him up in his beak.

"_Let me go, you oversized buzzard! OW! Watch where you're pecking! GAH! That doesn't come off! SOMEONE HELP ME-E-E-E-E-E-E!-!-!"_ the captain howled as he unwillingly flew off into the distance.

"_**LUFFY YOU IDIOT!" **_ The santoryu user roared as he took up the oars and paddled frantically after them.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, many miles away…..<p>

A group of several hundred people sat in bench style seats, their attention riveted on the spotlight in the center of the shadows.

A cloaked figure stepped into the light.

"_Ladies and gentlemen, Boys and girls of all ages, prepare to be amazed by a multitude of entertainment mastery! BEHOLD!"_

Suddenly, the light came on, revealing a three-ring circus. A pair of huge poles on opposite sides of the tent culminated in a pair of horizontal platforms that supported the trapeze and tightly wound balancing rope. Off to the side was a variety of equipment, including a pair of cannons, a knife scarred spinning wooden wheel, and several cages containing a variety of beasts. In the center was the most outlandish man any of them had ever seen. He was clad in yellow and brown checkered pants, a long blue pea coat, and an azure domino mask.

"My name is James Walker, and I'd like to invite you all to the greatest show on or off the sea! Any further, I'd like to introduce Cabbage Fey, the sword juggling acrobat!" he bellowed to the cheering crowd.

The spotlights swung up, illuminating the air above their heads. Now visible was a slender man with long black hair tied into a pony tail. He was perfectly balanced on a unicycle. Thankfully, no one could hear him muttering mutinously as he rode out on the tightrope.

"_The only thing that idiot could come up with was __**Cabbage Fey**_? _The hell with the captain! I have half a mind to go down there and ram my blade down his throat!"_the acrobat snarled as he spent the next several minutes juggling his weapons as he rolled back and forth. At one point he leaped out of his seat and held his unicycle on while hand while juggling a half dozen blades with the other.

"And next on our itinerary, we have the amazing animal tamer, MOCHI! Give him a round of applause.

The crowd clapped appreciatively as a skinny man whose entire torso was covered in a thick layer of white hair stepped out of the off stage carrying a whip and a wooden chair.

He threw open the now illuminated cage, revealing a massive lion, a tiger, a lynx, a cheetah, a panther, a puma (and for some unknown reason) a tiny kitten.

He held his chair lengthwise and…

CRACK!

He snapped his whip.

The animals suddenly stood at attention. Within seconds, they formed a feline pyramid. The tiger, lynx and cheetah on the bottom, the panther and puma were perched on their backs, and finally the kitten was on the zenith of the spectacle. The topmost feline took a deep breath…

"**R-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-A-R!-!-!"** the tiny housecat bellowed, sending Mochi flying with the sheer unaided volume of his voice.

The ringmaster composed himself, "AHEM! Mochi everybody!" he smiled.

The crowd applauded wildly for nearly a minute and a half, many of them getting up and stamping their feet in appreciation of the feats they had witnessed.

"And for the final show of the evening, I'd like to introduce our master of the comedic arts, the undying clown, the big red nosed wonder… " the Technicolor man orated

A knife flew at him from off stage, forcing the ringmaster to duck.

"As I was saying, introducing…BOOGIE THE CLOWN!" the masked man bellowed.

An infectious, basso beat sounded from the tone dial systems as a man in baggy pants, floppy shoes, thick pancake makeup, and a polka-dot shirt jigged into the center ring.

"_Da-da-dadada-da-da-circus, da-da-dadada-da-da-afro-circus, afro-__circus__, __afro_, _polka dot__, polka dot, polka dot afro!"_ Boogie sang as he electric slid, hand jived, and moon walked into the center ring to the tentative applause of the crowd.

"Hello eveybody! How many of you are from the east blue?" the humorist asked.

A good chunk of the crowd raised their hands.

"Really? That many? You have my sincerest sympathies… considering the crime rate's so bad out there; the brigands who steal from you will get their pockets picked while you're getting robbed!"

A few people snorted.

"But in all honesty folks, I'd rather be here than in Mariejois! Seriously, the place might be the land of opportunity, but it's also the place where every person, young or old, can walk down the street and say, 'Hey look, there goes a rich guy'!"

More people tittered. A few could be heard giggling.

"How many of you are married?"

Half the crowd raised their hands.

"In that case, I have a good piece of advice for you: Marriage is not just a word. It is a sentence… a life sentence!" he waggled his eyebrows.

By this point just about everyone was laughing.

"I love you people just as much as I love living! Oh, it's not that I'm afraid to die. I just don't want to be there when it happens!" he whooped.

The crowd was struggling to stay in their seats, they were laughing so hard.

"WWWWAAAIIIEEEEEEE!-!-!-!"

Boogie's act was interrupted when an unholy screech was heard above their heads.

Suddenly, something or someone impacted the canvas big top above their heads. It bulged ominously as someone struggled to free themselves. Then, with one final wrench, the individual tore a person sized hole in the big top.

Monkey D. Luffy tumbled through the newly opened gap, and dropped like a rock right onto Boogie the clown's head.

"AWK!"

"Hogeeh!"

The crowd watched in rapt silence as the two were obscured by the dust kicked up from the impact. Only for their silence to become terrified shrieks when body parts started flying through the air and landed among the audience. One woman let out a yowl of terror when Boogie's severed head flew into her lap. A man on the other side of the crowd screeched in shock when he was clubbed by the entertainer's left arm. A pair of young boys fought over who would own the clown's right leg.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to…. GAH!" Luffy yelped as he got a good look at what was left of the clown he accidentally dismembered.

Suddenly, the torso sprang to life and decked the pirate captain, knocking him on his rear.

The circus patrons gasped in wonder as the scattered parts suddenly sprang to life and floated back to their owner.

"You…you…flashy idiot! Look what you did!" the clown's head berated Luffy.

"_Sorry about that folks! Boogie ate a unique devil fruit. Pay no attention to the disembodied limbs! They'll attach soon enough…"_ the ring master said nervously over the speaker system.

A pair of burly men in sequined spandex frantically tried to separate the two. Unfortunately, their efforts were hampered by the fact that Boogie's legs managed to escape capture and kept kicking people in the shins.

"_I'm gonna tear you a new one, moron! I'll stuff you into a canon and blow ya over the horizon! Then I'll really lay into you! Someone get me a sword, an ax, a saw! Anything will do as long as it's flashy!" _the comedian screeched, his disembodied hand locked around the Lantern's throat.

"It was an accident! I got into a fight with a bird, and fell out of its beak" the lantern protested, grabbing his opponent by the cheeks and stretching them impossibly far.

"I have only one thing to say to that: **I'm going to enjoy this far more than I should**!" the clown snarled.

The entire crowd froze as someone stepped up to the brawling pair and held a sword up to the jester's neck.

"You, in the makeup, step away from my captain. Or I'll separate your head from your shoulders, for real this time." Zoro scowled.

No one dared to even breath for what seemed like an eternity.

Finally, the clown pulled his hands away. Luffy let out a gasp of relief as breath flowed into his lungs.

"T'anks…" the green lantern rasped.

"No problem. Now charge that ring and let's get out of here before you get into even morentrouble…" the green haired man grunted, shoving the glowing battery into his captain's arms as he dragged the boy away.

Neither of them noticed Boogie eyeing them angrily.

* * *

><p>"What the hell was that?" the swordsman asked several minutes later.<p>

"What do you mean?" Luffy asked, looking straight ahead.

"I heard that Green thing talk. Now what the hell are you?"

"Oh! That reminds me. I gotta charge Ring kun!" the powerless lantern smiled, quickly saying his oath.

Green energy flowed into the weapon. When she was fully powered up, a black aura surrounded the powerful piece of jewelry.

"Erm, is it…supposed to look like that?" Zoro gulped, suddenly feeling the distinct urge to run for the hills. He hadn't felt this way since the time he asked Kuina if she wanted to 'polish swords' together."

Suddenly, a human sized blob of green energy was discharged. It writhed for about ten seconds before taking the form of a human woman. She had long hair, a slightly round face, and was clad in a long flowing gown. Zoro twitched when she fixed Luffy with the saddest, tear-iest eyes the swordsman had ever seen. He nearly ended up apologizing, even though he didn't do anything.

"_Could you please tell me why you didn't remember to charge me? Do you not like me anymore?" _the persona asked, sounding utterly devastated.

"Um…Yes! I mean….no? I don't know!" Luffy answered uncertainly, suddenly finding unable to tear himself away from her gaze.

The ring sparked as her form blurred, this time becoming a woman in cutoff jeans, a short flannel shirt that exposed her flat tummy, boots and a cowboy hat. She jumped at Luffy, wresting him to the ground.

Zoro was utterly flabbergasted when she pulled out a lasso and proceeded to hogtie Luffy like an unruly stallion.

"_Then don't do it again, ya idjit!" _the now forceful persona snarled, before disappearing back into the ring.

"On second thought, I don't want to know anymore… the swordsman uttered weakly.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, back inside the circus….<p>

Boogie the clown stomped into the backstage area, utterly irate.

"I swear to Barnum and Bailey! If there wasn't treasure on the line, I'd blow this entire damn town sky high! Starting with the two jackasses that interrupted our show…" the entertainer snarled, stepping behind a nearby partisan.

"I'm in full agreement captain, not amount of treasure is worth this humiliation!" the acrobat spat, ripping off the long black wig, exposing a half head of hair.

"I rather like it!" the animal tamer smirked.

"You would…" the dark haired swordsman sneered.

"Gentlemen, gentlemen! Please, compose yourselves. As I told you before, somewhere in Orange town is a great treasure. Your men are going to scour this place in a few short hours. Once that happens, wealth equal to your wildest dreams will be yours…after I take my cut of course!" the ringmaster promised.

"I still don't buy it. Why would a little backwater town like this have as much wealth as you say…" Boogie snorted, stepping out from behind the curtain, now clad in a tri corner hat, long furred cloak, and pointy toes boots, once again taking on his true identity as Buggy the Clown, infamous pirate captain with a 15,000,000 Beli bounty on his head.

"Darned if I know, but everyone around here says some old man had a great treasure, and left it behind after he died. I swear to you, if you follow my plan, this wealth that's hidden here will be yours, on my honor as a former captain of the navy! And afterwards…" James Walker, now better known as the Trickster, smiled toothily, patting a small treasure chest.

Buggy eagerly snatched the container out of his subordinate's hand and opened it reverently. His jaw dropped when he saw what was inside.

"**The map of the Grand Line is gone!"** the captain shrieked.

* * *

><p>For the first time in a while, Nami wondered how she had gotten into this mess. One minute, she had been sneaking out of the circus tent, fully intent on getting to her boat and beating it back to Cocoyashi village, and a few seconds later a gang of Buggy's lackeys were chasing her from rooftop to rooftop.<p>

"_Sure, I could use my trump card, but unleashing THAT in the middle of a crowded city street would be stupid bordering on suicidal…"_ the ginger haired girl though.

Suddenly, she spotted a familiar face, and inspiration hit.

"_Hello patsy!" _she mentally giggled.

The thief veered and leaped off a nearby awning.

WHAM!

Luffy was knocked off his feet when he was bodily tackled from behind.

"Sorryboss! Holdthisforme, I'llbebackforitlater!" the young thief babbbled, thrusting a rolled up piece of parchment into his hands before she got to her feet and ran like the hounds of Hades were nipping at her boot clad heels.

"What the hell was that?" Zoro blinked.

"So, you're her boss huh?" someone behind the duo growled.

Luffy blinked and looked over his shoulder. He blinked owlishly when he spied a trio of tough looking men. Each was clad in multi-colored clothes, and wouldn't have looked out-of-place at a circus.

"Is he talking to me?" the Lantern blinked.

"Yeah, we're talking to you, now give back Captain Buggy's treasure!" the one with the head screws snarled, whacking Luffy across the face, and sending his precious straw hat flying.

WHAM!

The Frankenstein look-a-like was knocked ass over teakettle when a green belaying pin cracked him over the head.

"Don't. Touch. The. Hat." The pirate captain said flatly.

"Why…you!" one of the remaining strongmen snarled, he and his brother lunging at the duo, weapons raised.

POW!

CRACK

SCHLINK!

A few seconds later, the now unconscious assaulters were on the ground nursing a cracked skull and lacerations. The moment the brawl had started, the townsfolk were running for the hills.

"Well that was interesting. I recognized these guys, they were working at the circus. Why would carnies suddenly decide to attack us? And another thing, what's Buggy got to do with this?" the former bounty hunter grimaced.

"Who's he?" the lantern asked.

"Some two-bit pirate. He's got a decent bounty on his head, but it's easily among the lowest in the East Blue." The green haired young man shrugged.

The Green Lantern unrolled and examined the scroll. His eyes bugged out when he recognized what the chicken scratches represented.

"Well, what it is?" Zoro asked.

"Holy Crap! It's…it's a map of the first half of the grand line!" Luffy boggled.

"You're kidding me?" Zoro gaped.

"No! I've been to some of the islands! I know then pretty well, this is as real as real can get!"

"No wonder Buggy wants this so badly. Any captain worth his salts would sell half his crew to get his hands on this!"

"And that's why I stole it!" someone above their heads said.

Luffy looked up and saw a familiar face: it was the ginger haired girl from Alvida's ship.

"What are you doing here?" he lantern blinked.

"You know her?" Zoro narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"She stole a bunch of treasure from this fat lady pirate I sent flying. I think her name was Alvida. We got separated when the Navy arrived. I wondered what happened to you…" the black haired young man said thoughtfully.

"Well, I had to drop all those sparkly little baubles off. But then I made my way here to claim an even bigger prize!" the orangette smiled craftily, eyeing the map.

She jumped off the awning and landed lightly at their feet.

"I'll be taking that back now." She said eagerly.

"Sorry but no." the black haired boy said simply, turning away.

Snorting wryly, the swordsman settled down and watched the show.

"What? But that was only supposed to be for a minute! That map is **mine**. I really need it! Can't we talk about this? Maybe we could come to an agreement?" Nami smiled sexily, pulling down the neckline of her shirt, exposing a little cleavage.

"Nope." Luffy said flatly as the map vanished into the depths of his ring.

The thief let out a gasp, clutching her left hand. The duo watched as she abruptly turned on her heels and ran.

"That…was weird. Are all you ring people like this?" Zoro asked.

"Eh? What do you mean?" the pirate captain asked, using his ring to mine for gold in his nose.

"Never mind…"

* * *

><p>It was later that night, the duo had rented an inexpensive room at one of the town's inn's. Zoro was out like a light. But something was nagging at the back of Luffy's head.<p>

"Hey, 6, I need to talk to you…" the young lantern said quietly.

His ring sparked gently until the familiar voice of his ring's most educated persona kicked in, _"What is it?" _she said sleepily.

"What do you know about the color orange?" Luffy asked.

"_Well, it's the color of a particularly tasty citrus fruit, you need red and yellow to make paint of that shade…" _the ring trailed off.

"That's now what I mean! Is there anything in your records about orange rings? That weird girl had one on her finger." he insisted.

"_I don't know anything off the top of my head, let's see what Oa's main database has to say on the subject…" _the ring trailed off as her current core consciousness entered the central archive.

POW!

A sudden explosion of displaced air, localized around his ring finger, knocked the lantern off his feet.

"_Oh, my head…" _the sixth personality whimpered pitifully.

"Wow! A mystery boom!" the lantern giggled dizzily before dropping to the floor.

"Huh? Where's the cannon?" Zoro sputtered sleepily before going back to sleep.

"_Ungh, heavy encryption… booted me out…nap time…"_ Ring Kun gurgled before going off line.

* * *

><p>Several hours passed. None of the citizens of Orange town noticed that silent figures skulked along the rooftops. They pried open window after window, entering the houses… and exiting minutes later carrying sacks of goods. No one was spared. Hundreds of people suddenly found their heirlooms, valuables, and trinkets spirited away in the night.<p>

These victims included a certain pair of unconscious pirates holed up in an Inn.

Actually, what no one knew was that there was a second cat burglar skulking stealthily through the darkness.

She silently slid a glass cutter along the outside of the pane, carving a hole wide enough for her skillful fingers. She flipped the window latch, and slinked inside without s sound.

Like a shadow, the mystery woman crept over to the prone pirates. She eyed the orange piece of jewelry attached to her finger.

"_Now, get me that map!"_ the thief hissed.

Her ring pulsed, letting out an almost animalistic growl. All it said was a single word.

"_**MINE!"**_

Ring Kun was resting peacefully. After the shock of getting violently expelled from the Oan central database, her subatomic processors took some much needed down time. This rest was violently interrupted when… something ripped through her firewalls like rice paper. The timeline of the assault went something like this:

.5 seconds: Initial firewalls forcibly bypassed.

1 seconds: core personalities rerouting one quarter of remaining charge to halt the intrusion.

1.5 seconds: probe bypasses secondary firewalls.

2 seconds: tertiary protection breeched.

2.5 seconds: unanimous decisions reached to initiate physical counter measures.

_3 second: "EAT PARTY CANON!" _ ring-kun cackled.

The thief's eyebrows rose when her rings probe was suddenly halted. Her expression turned to one of horror when Luffy's weapon disgorged a cannon the size of a small horse.

KA-POW!

The cinnamon eyed woman was suddenly enveloped by an orange glow that propelled her up in the air, out of the line of fire.

Sadly, it was that exact moment that a **second** thief entered the premises via the open window.

Cabaji had no chance to dodge as a ten pound ball of confetti, party favors, and baked goods slammed into his face at Mach 2.

"_HOGEEH!"_ the acrobat yelped as he smashed head first into the street …

"Now I know I heard cannon fire that time!" the santoryu user slurred, sitting up.

Luffy already had his head out the window.

"I think someone just tried to rob us…" the lantern pointed at the knocked out cyclist.

"OK. That's it! That's the second time carnival folk have attacked us today. Let's get down there and drag that idiot back to the big top. I want some answers." The green haired swordsman growled.

* * *

><p>"What do you mean you lost track of the map thief?-!" Buggy hissed wrathfully.<p>

"L-like I said, she passed the map on to her boss, and then ran for the hills! We fought as hard as we could…but…" the youngest of the three strong men whimpered feebly.

"But you lost the fight….and the map" The clown captain said flatly, looking pointedly at Trickster.

"Boy's, I afraid we need to have a little talk…" the masked man said sadly.

"But…sir…" the bolt headed brother licked his lips nervously as the blond circled them like a cat ready to pounce.

"Hush, the adults are talking! Now, not only did the three of you fail to get the map back, but you made the idiotic mistake of botching the attempt, but doing it in a public place. You seem to forget that my plan requires that, at the moment, we work in the shadows. We cannot be seen acting like pirates in the light of day. If any of us are, people will begin to ask question. Uncomfortable questions. And that, my friends, is something we cannot afford!" Walker drawled, patting each of them on the back.

Buggy looked on impassively as his advisor walked away from the trembling trio.

_ZAAAAAAAAAAKK!_

The Domingos howled in agony as the kick me signs Trickster affixed to their backs suddenly emitted over a thousand volts of electricity a piece, flash frying them from the inside out.

"Trash like them are a dime a dozen. Once your men find this town's treasure, we'll head to the grand line and make out fortune!" the blond smiled grimly, ignoring the smoking corpses at his feet.

"And this is why I hired you! I love it when my subordinates get flashy!" the pirate clown smirked.

Suddenly, their conference was interrupted when the dark skinned cabin boy rushed in like his pointed hat was on fire.

"Cap'n Buggy! Cap'n Buggy! Cabaji's back!" the junior pirate babbled.

"Well, what are you waiting for, let him in!" the captain snapped.

"Um, he's unconscious. He's being hauled in by a couple of people who found him knocked out cold in the middle of the street."

Buggy face palmed, "Ya just can't find good help anymore! Stall those buffoons while I get in character…"

* * *

><p>Luffy and Zoro watched as the circus performers scurried around like ants, preparing for that day's show.<p>

"Really, I have to thank you for bringing our acrobat back to us. He's a bit of a kleptomaniac. Sometimes he sneaks out at night to rob the people who frequent our circus." The ringmaster said sadly.

"Then why don't you do something about him? That's the second time someone from your troupe attacked up. Those weirdo strong men jumped us in the middle of the street. Keep your carnies on a shorter leash." The swordsman spat.

"Yeah, if any of my nakama got hurt because of you people, I'll be the one to kick your *unable to translate*!" Luffy seconded.

"Wait! You two were the ones that the Domingo brothers attacked." Walker's eyes widened in shock.

That's when Luffy's brain managed to come to a conclusion surprisingly close to the truth.

POW!

A green anvil shot out of his ring and clocked the ringmaster in the face, knocking him off his feet.

"What the hell was that?" Zoro sputtered.

"Remember what those three said? There were working for Buggy the Clown. How much you wanna bet he's the one running this circus." The lantern frowned.

"_That's…surprisingly astute of you…" _ Ring-kun commented.

That's when the duo realized that the previous bustle of the bustle of the circus had given way to silence.

More than a dozen performers were arrayed around them, each one toting a weapon.

"I think we might be in for a fight" Zoro commented, licking his lips and trying his black bandanna over his head,

"GET EM!" the lead pirate screamed.

Zoro blocked the nearest pirate who tried to slash him with a cleaver. The green haired young man's head twisted and cut into his opponent's shoulder. The entertainer went down his a howl, clutching his bleeding limb.

Another three tried to dog pile him, only for the former bounty hunter to side step the clumsy lunge, leaving the three in a tangled heap.

"OI! Who's hand is that!"

"Your knee is in my back!"

"Well your fingers in my eye!"

"How can my finger be in your eye? You're wearing an eye patch?"

"My other eye, you dummy!"

"Well, um…your fist in my spleen!"

"AGH! Watch where you put your feet!"

Luffy's anvil turned into a knotted rope the smacked the nearest pirate over the head. He suddenly dropped on his belly and levered himself up on his hands, donkey kicking the two pirates who were sneaking up behind him.

Boogie the clown dived into the mêlée, a short sword clutched in one hand and four knifes in the other, one clenched between each finger.

Almost contemptuously, the green lantern sidestepped the seemingly clumsy flying tackle and turned his construct into a sword.

SCHLINK!

the baggy shoed man fell to the ground in three pieces: his right arm was sliced off at the elbow, which was compounded by the fact that he had been cut in half at the waist.

"GAH! My organs! Stay in there! Stay in your home! Daddy needs you!" the jester wailed pitifully, thrashing around and pounding the ground with his one remaining hand.

Shaking his head, the straw hat captain turned his back on the seemingly mortally injured man.

What Luffy didn't notice was the knowing grins on all the assembled members of Buggy's crew.

THUNK!

A searing pain lanced through the young man's side. He looked down and saw that, despite not being attached to him, Boogie's arm had plunged the sword into the Lantern's body.

**"Here's hoping you enjoyed the chapter folks. Remembe**r**, read, review, and check out the challenges on my profile page." I grunt, looking singed around the edges as I spit out a puff of smoke.**

**"How did you survive that anyway?" the enemy servant asked.  
><strong>

**"You're not the only one with a noble phantasm. When I hold this, whatever I write (within reason) becomes reality." Writer replied smugly, holding up a gilded notebook. The cover was embossed with the title: _Noble phantasm, tome of the creator._**

**"Urg! That is such bull *unable to translate*!"****she barked angrily.**_**  
><strong>_

**"Love it or hate it, it's here to stay babe!"  
><strong>

**"Would you two stop flirting and start the next preview?" I plead.  
><strong>

**Writer rolled his eyes and began to write.  
><strong>

_**Next time on Green Lantern of the Grand line…**_

_**The fledgling straw hats are on the run when the Captain sustains heavy injuries. **_

_**Luffy: Tis' but a scratch! GACK! *coughs up a mouthful of blood***_

_**And with most of the Towns valuables missing, guess who gets the blame?**_

_**Luffy (deliriously): Shishishi! Hey look it's a parade!**_

_**Pitchfork bearing Townsfolk: GET THE PIRATES!**_

_**Ring Kun: I'm sorry! Even though we didn't do it, I'm sorry!**_

_**But salvation comes from unlikely places.**_

_**? ? ?: Get out of my town, you hoodlums!**_

_**? ? ?: Here I come to save the day…for the right price that is! ;P**_

_**Sort of.**_

_**And what is this treasure that the Buggy pirates seek? And what other tricks does the clown captain's benefactor have up his voluminous sleeve? Find out next time on Green lantern of the Grand Line: Launch the Buggy Balls! The Trickster strikes!**_


End file.
